Review of The Overnighters (2014) by Deepak M — 07 Mar 2018

When North Dakota experienced a shale oil boom, men from all over America started converging on a small rural town called Williston. Many of them, not immediately finding jobs, needed a place to stay. A pastor in a local church decided to let large numbers of men stay at the church, and some, even in his home, as they tried to establish a foothold in the town.

He called this program "The Overnighters". Many of these men came from complicated backgrounds and had criminal records. Needless to say, the city council, the local paper and the community turned against the pastor and his Overnighters program.

All of this is reaching a crescendo, when it is revealed that the pastor has a big secret of his own. Terrific documentary about a geographical part and a societal aspect of America that is rarely seen in movies.