Rarely does a film come along that touches you so strongly and restores the faith that you once had in humanity. The Good Lie tells the heartbreaking story of Mamere (Arnold Oceng), Jeremiah (Ger Duany), Paul (Immanuel Jal), Abital (Kuouth Wiel) and Theo (Femi  Oguns) who are children growing up in a village together in Sudan when suddenly they are attacked by soldiers. The children’s families are killed and they are forced to walk hundreds of miles and hide from soldiers sent to kill them. Along the way, they lose friends and must bury children when they are only children themselves. Along the way, Theo, the oldest boy, sacrifices himself to the soldiers, pretending that he was all alone. The other children move on and must continue their journey without Theo.

The rest of the children make it to the refugee camp where we see them grow into young adults and are given the opportunity to fly to the United States to find jobs and a new life. They are unfortunately separated from their sister Abital, and the boys must live in a different city than their sister. Carrie, played by Reese Witherspoon is tasked with finding the men jobs. She is hard and cold toward them and doesn’t truly understand their struggle. As the film progresses, she understands and even cares for them deeply. They face many struggles as refugees in the United States, such as acclimating to the culture, accepting things that they don’t feel as right and being virtually alone in a new country.

The incredible thing about this film is the fact that the story is true, and moreover that the actors who play the Sudanese refugees are in fact Sudanese refugees themselves. The actors are so wonderful and genuine. It truly adds to the heart of the story. This film had such an impact on me for not only making me examine myself and all the things that I take for granted but also for showing the strength that we have as human beings and how resilient we can be. This film is inspiring, touching and humbling all in one.
Overall 9/10