North Dakota’s fracking boom lures men from all over for a chance at a six-figure salary in the oil fields. Scores of broken men looking for second chances descend on tiny towns, where they’re called “overnighters” and treated with suspicion. The Overnighters tells the story of Pastor Jay Reinke, who opens his church to the overnighters—but while he sees it as an extension of the church’s mission, his congregation resents not being involved in the decision, and the community as a whole fears the unknown dynamics these new workers bring. Reinke’s dedication to service is admirable, but the film does not deify him. The Overnighters asks how our past actions affect our opportunities and what our obligations are to suffering people, and the only clear-cut answer it finds is that we’re all suffering. One member of Reinke’s congregation complains to him about the overnighters’ behavior in church, but her real concern is that the shale boom is destroying the prairies, the water, and the fabric of her town. Perhaps the most American stories of all time are those of people looking to make something of themselves despite themselves, and The Overnighters tells one with a wallop that will ring in your ears days later.