RUTH & BOAZ

Tyler Perry's modern retelling of Ruth and Boaz earns its four stars honestly. The performances carry real weight — Serayah shines both as an actress and a singer, her chemistry with Tyler Lepley is genuine, and Phylicia Rashad adds gravity to every scene she's in. The story translates the biblical tale into the music industry without losing its heart: faith, prayer, and hymns run through the whole thing, and the film cares openly about love, friendship, church, and community.

The caution is small but real. There's some foul language, light alcohol use around the winery setting, and one scene of violence involving threats and a fistfight. None of it is heavy-handed, but it's enough that Movieguide flags the film for younger and older pre-teen children.

If you're an older teen or adult looking for a warm, well-acted, faith-filled romance, this one is worth your evening.

Ruth is an aspiring singer on the edge of a big break — but she's disillusioned with the music she's making and the industry pushing her toward it. When she tries to walk away, her manager makes it clear he won't let her go quietly. Ruth ends up on the run, landing at a Tennessee vineyard where she meets Boaz, the winery's owner. As their romance grows, Ruth has to decide how much of her past she's willing to let catch up with her — and what she's willing to risk for the life she's starting to want.

Four stars here mean the film delivers on nearly every front it attempts. The lead performances do the heavy lifting: Serayah brings both acting range and genuine musical talent, her scenes with Tyler Lepley have real chemistry, and Phylicia Rashad elevates the material whenever she's on screen. The modern-industry setting gives the ancient story fresh texture without losing what made it worth retelling in the first place — loyalty, provision, and love found in an unlikely place.

This is a film built on strong performances and a compelling premise rather than visual spectacle, and on those terms it succeeds.

This is a film that wants you to see faith at work in ordinary life, and it largely succeeds. Characters pray together and talk openly about God's plan for them. Church attendance, a hymn — "Goodness of God" — sung on screen, and a community that shows up to repair a neighbor's house all reinforce the same point: love, friendship, and church community aren't decoration here, they're the engine of the story. The villain's threats and violence exist, but they're clearly framed as wrong, not glamorized.

What the film exalts lines up closely with a biblical view of loyalty and steadfast love — the same qualities that make the original story of Ruth and Boaz endure. The ache underneath both versions is the same: what do we owe the people who need us, even when leaving would be easier? Scripture answers plainly through Ruth herself: "Where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge... your God, my God" (Ruth 1:16).

Tyler Perry's retelling gives an old story new music and real heart — strong performances, a faith that feels lived-in, and a romance worth rooting for, with just enough caution to keep it out of younger hands. Our answer stands as it started: worth the trip — teens and up.