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The romantic drama film Ruth & Boaz, directed by Alanna Brown, is a modern portrayal of a biblical story. Produced by Tyler Perry and DeVon Franklin, the film's plot centres on Ruth (Serayah McNeil), an intensely loyal Moabite widow, who, after the tragic deaths of her husband and father-in-law, chooses enduring devotion to her Jewish mother-in-law, Naomi, rather than returning to her own people.
They return to Bethlehem destitute, where Ruth sustains them by patiently gleaning barley in the fields. The plot pivots on the encounter with Boaz (Tyler Lepley), a wealthy and honourable landowner and a relative of Naomi’s late husband. During the conclusion, Ruth marries Boaz, securing both her future and Naomi's redemption. Furthermore, Ruth is established in Israel's lineage, as her great-grandson, David, would later become the legendary King of Israel.
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Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers about the film. Viewer's discretion advised.
The significance of Ruth & Boaz marriage explained
The main plot of Ruth & Boaz is rooted in one of the Bible's most emotional and timeless narratives: the story of a covenant of loyalty forged in destitution. The film opens in Moab, establishing Ruth, a Moabite woman, as a widow alongside her mother-in-law, Naomi, who has lost her husband and two sons.
Despite Naomi’s insistence that Ruth return to her own people, Ruth makes the famous vow, "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay; your people will be my people and your God my God." This covenant of loyalty forms the backbone of the first act, leading them back to the impoverished fields of Bethlehem.
Ruth is forced to harvest barley in the fields as part of her obligation to help. It is here that Boaz, a wealthy and righteous kinsman of Naomi’s late husband, Elimelech, is introduced. Boaz’s generosity and protective nature toward Ruth establish him as her "Kinsman-Redeemer". Their relationship develops slowly, setting the stage for the complex legal resolution that unfolds in the ending.
During the conclusion of Ruth & Boaz, Naomi, realizing Boaz is their path to safety, instructs Ruth to present herself to him at the threshing floor, as a sign of prayer for him to exercise his right as the Kinsman-Redeemer. The climax occurs at the city gate, the legal and social centre of the community, where Boaz publicly convenes ten elders and addresses the senior kinsman who has the first right to redeem Elimelech’s land.
Notably, Boaz puts a condition: to redeem the land, the kinsman must also marry Ruth, the Moabite widow, "to perpetuate the name of the dead on his property" (Ruth 4:5). When the elder relative declines, citing concerns about jeopardizing his own fortune, Boaz formally closes the deal. Boaz legally redeems both the land and the family name, taking Ruth as his wife and securing Naomi’s future from poverty.
The final scenes of Ruth & Boaz center on the birth of Ruth and Boaz's son, Obed. The neighbors are seen celebrating, declaring that the child is "a restorer of life and sustainer of [Naomi's] old age." Obed is thus revealed to be the father of Jesse, who is the father of King David, thereby establishing Ruth’s indelible role in the royal line of Israel, and ultimately, a foundational connection to the Messianic lineage.
Ruth & Boaz is streaming on Netflix. Stay tuned for more updates.
