Common Sense Media Review
By Stephanie Myers
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Slow-paced action drama based in Mormon history; violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Oath
What's the Story?
THE OATH -- which takes place in ancient America around 400 A.D. -- tells the story (based on events described in the Book of Mormon) of Moroni (Darin Scott, who also co-wrote and directed the film), the last of the Nephites. For several centuries, Moroni's people battled with the Lamanites, who ultimately emerged victorious. The Lamanites' evil King Aaron (Billy Zane) has been searching for Moroni for years in order to kill him and finally exterminate the Nephites. The king's mistress, Bathsheba (Nora Dale), runs away after he hits her and stumbles on the cave where Moroni lives. He takes care of her even though she's a Lamanite, teaching her the history of the two nations and their feud. He explains that, while Lamanites want war, Nephites are peaceful and just want freedom from the Lamanites. Moroni has sworn an oath to write down the story of his people so that one day the Nephites will be remembered. The two grow closer, but King Aaron has sent his best tracker, Mahigana (Katrina Lombard) -- who's also Bathsheba's sister -- to find Bathsheba. Will Moroni be able to fulfill his oath and keep the Nephites' history safe from the king, or will his love for Bathsheba be his undoing?
Is It Any Good?
For a historical action drama, this movie is extremely slow paced: Much of The Oath consists of Moroni sitting and thinking. Plus, key parts of the reason why the two nations are still warring isn't clearly explained. There are several holes in the plot, and timelines don't really make sense. (It takes months for the king's people to track Bathsheba down, but only days to report back to the king and fetch him.) There's a spirit/ghost character that appears every now and then for no reason, and it's never clearly explained who he is or why he shows up. Bottom line? It's likely that unless you're familiar with the Book of Mormon, a great deal of what's presented here will be lost on you.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Oath's themes of redemption and forgiveness. How did Moroni treat Bathsheba, who was supposedly his enemy? What does his example teach viewers?
Moroni makes more than one oath during the movie -- which one do you think the title is referring to? Or does it mean all of them? Have you ever made a serious promise like that?
Who do you think the film's target audience is? How can you tell?
How does the violence in this film compare to other action movies/historical dramas you've seen?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 8, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : March 26, 2024
- Cast : Billy Zane , Darin Scott , Eugene Brave Rock , Nora Dale , Katrina Lombard
- Director : Darin Scott
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Director(s) , Indigenous Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Freestyle Releasing
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 104 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violent content
- Last updated : April 2, 2024
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