Our take
On one side, this is a look at the real-life efforts of local North Dakota Pastor Jay Reinke to provide shelter for Oil-working migrants in his Church for the course of well over two years – he ends up calling this The Overnighters Program. On another, it is the story of more than a thousand people living the broken American Dream, the pastor’s concerned, sensible neighbors, his well-meaning attempts backfiring, and all that’s in between. The Overnighters is an engaging, if not highly-aware, award-winning documentary that feeds on altruism, hope of redemption, and their ideal truth about the nature of human existence.
What it won
DGA
1 nom
Sundance
1 win
The story
Desperate, broken men chase their dreams and run from their demons in the North Dakota oil fields. A local Pastor's decision to help them has extraordinary and unexpected consequences.
Elsewhere
"Demands a rewatch, and is so stuffed with incident that someone should remake it into an overcooked, Americana melodrama."
— Ashley Clark
"While initially a gentle interrogation of Christian dogma, The Overnighters expands to a larger investigation of altruism and its roots in private psychologies."
— Eric Kohn
The details
Mr. Bachmann and His Class
Female director & Maria Speth
Daughters
Angela Patton & Natalie Rae
Diego Maradona
Asif Kapadia
Fifi Howls from Happiness
Mitra Farahani
Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story
Adam Carolla & Nate Adams
Moonage Daydream
Brett Morgen
The Missing Picture
Rithy Panh
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
Benjamin Ree
Who picked it
Christina Hale is a contributing writer at A Good Movie to Watch, focused on highlighting overlooked films and shows across the major streaming platforms. Her reviews emphasize craft and storytelling over algorithmic popularity.
