Common Sense Media Review
By Tara McNamara
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Uneven Standing Rock drama offers insights into activism.
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Why Age 13+?
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On Sacred Ground
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
ON SACRED GROUND follows freelance journalist Daniel McKinney (William Mapother), an expectant father who's struggling with PTSD. When he's hired to report on the protests over the Dakota Access Pipeline at the Standing Rock Reservation, he goes undercover as a Native American sympathizer, ultimately realizing there's more to the story than he'd been led to believe.
Is It Any Good?
As a piece of entertainment, On Sacred Ground sags and drags; as a work of art intended to increase understanding of a complex situation, it's got some lift. The filmmaking is underwhelming, and McKinney's PTSD storyline distracts from the core plot (not to mention that his whole character plays into the White savior cliché). But there's a reason why so many familiar faces appear in this film, including David Arquette, Amy Smart, Mariel Hemingway, Francis Fisher, and Irene Bedard. That's because what happened at Standing Rock in 2016 -- the U.S. government siding with corporate interests over the protests of people worried about their land, their health, and their way of life -- was shocking to many outside the impacted community. And the filmmakers wanted to make sure that the Lakota Sioux's story was shared.
Beyond retelling the events at Standing Rock, the film offers a couple of sharp takeaways: 1) insight into how a well-organized protest works, and 2) that the way to overcome institutional bias is to get to know the people on "the other side." McKinney is instructed to infiltrate the protestors by going undercover as a sympathizer -- and as he spends time with them, learning why they oppose the pipeline and understanding why it matters, his perspective opens up. Changing people's world views is challenging; with On Sacred Ground, directors Josh and Rebecca Tickell have created an example of why critical and independent thinking are essential and why it's important to reach those who are adamantly misinformed.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how On Sacred Ground depicts protests and protestors. How do the water protectors demonstrate perseverance and self-control? Why are these important life skills?
How does the film lay out the pipeline conflict as an argument between what's economically important and what's morally right? What are the arguments on each side?
The filmmakers cast many Lakota Sioux actors and worked with other Native American tribes to ensure that the depictions in the movie were accurate. Why is authentic representation important in entertainment?
What changed Daniel's opinion? What is integrity, and how does Daniel demonstrate that? Do you think he fits the definition of the White savior cliché?
As the film indicates, Americans from many different walks of life showed up to join the water protectors in the protest -- from military veterans to celebrities. When should empathy and compassion lead to action?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 13, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : January 13, 2023
- Cast : William Mapother , David Arquette , Kerry Knuppe
- Directors : Joshua Tickell , Rebecca Harrell Tickell
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Shout! Studios
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Activism , History
- Run time : 86 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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