The Overnighters

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The Overnighters

PG-13

Released Oct 10, 2014

1h 41m

Documentary

Drama

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Popcornmeter

97%

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74 Reviews

85%

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2,500+ Ratings

A pastor sparks a controversy in his North Dakota town by opening his church doors to homeless workers who are seeking jobs at nearby oil fields.

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Critics Consensus

Hard-hitting, absorbing, and painfully relevant, The Overnighters offers an urgent and compassionate picture of life in 21st century America.

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Steven D. Greydanus

Decent Films

An existentially probing documentary with more layers than a twisty Hollywood thriller, at turns inspiring, challenging, sobering and finally devastating.

Rated: A

Feb 25, 2015

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Tom Long

Detroit News

It develops into a study of obsession, hypocrisy, righteousness and self-doubt, questioning motive and then gob-smacking the audience with the wholly unexpected.

Rated: B

Jan 5, 2015

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Eric Kohn

indieWire

While initially a gentle interrogation of Christian dogma, The Overnighters expands to a larger investigation of altruism and its roots in private psychologies.

Rated: A

Jan 5, 2015

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Q.V. Hough

Vague Visages

"Moss highlights the personal struggles of many who find themselves re-awakened in northwestern North Dakota, and others who simply fade in and fade out."

Jun 28, 2022

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David Harris

Spectrum Culture

Although The Overnighters runs only 90 minutes, it feels much longer than that.

Rated: 2.8/5

Nov 27, 2019

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Ryan Syrek

The Reader (Omaha, NE)

The big takeaway for me was how brutal the burden is for those who truly embrace the core conceits of the Christian faith and its insistence upon caring for any and all who need help, no matter the sins of their past.

Rated: A-

Aug 6, 2019

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Audience Member

It is a very thought provoking film that broadens questions like "should the government consider allocating funds to economically devastated states for the purpose of expanding privately owned prisons , so that the states can be economically stimulated by a new prison work force, or should another less expensive option be considered... It also broadens questions such as " beside John 3: 16, what was the meaning of jesus parables and sermon on the mount? in an apathetic, deregulated world, these questions seem hard to answer. Excuse unedited grammar and sentences

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

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Audience Member

Absolutely stunning.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

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Audience Member

Powerful, heartbreaking stuff.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

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Audience Member

Intricately, this multi-layered film details small town perceptions, prejudices and woes, and what happens when good Christian values mix with these and an endless stream of migrant workers, seeking a supposedly better life in the Dakota territory. Furthermore, at the end, this film contains one of the hardest scenes to watch, ever.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

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Tim G

Both depressing and uplifting, with a stunner of an ending.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/26/16

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Audience Member

This movie would have received five stars from me were it not for the gaping omission of the oil company's part in not only fracturing the earth but the community as well. It does do a wonderful job of portraying our fears -- the socially- and politically-generated fears of people who have made mistakes, and the very real fears of ostracism. There is such a parallel between these men and Pastor Reinke that the revelation at the end is more like an epiphany than a surprise. I naturally wonder about Williston's water. It is highly probable that the oil company has not yet wreaked all of its havoc on this town. Perhaps then the town will refocus its fears and angers and direct them towards the true culprits.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

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Jesse Moss

Director

Jay Reinke

Actor

Andrea Reinke

Actor

Alan Mezo

Actor

Shelly Schultz

Actor

Keegan Edwards

Actor

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Synopsis

A pastor sparks a controversy in his North Dakota town by opening his church doors to homeless workers who are seeking jobs at nearby oil fields.

Director: Jesse Moss
Producer: Jesse Moss, Amanda McBaine
Screenwriter: Jesse Moss
Distributor: Drafthouse Films
Production Co: Mile End Films West
Rating: PG-13 (Mature Thematic Material|Brief Strong Language)
Genre: Documentary, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 10, 2014, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $109.6K
Runtime: 1h 41m

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