Deepwater Horizon (2016) User Reviews

Gripping and realistic, Deepwater Horizon works both as an enlightening documentary and a fun blockbuster.

[lnvicta · 7/10 · 1 October 2016]

Deepwater Horizon is a movie that succeeds on two levels: as an action-packed blockbuster and as an honest depiction of a tragic disaster. It's the story of the BP oil rig that exploded and contaminated the Gulf of Mexico. The way Berg directs the sequence of events is well paced and purposefully developmental for a good chunk of the movie. It takes about 45 minutes before the crap hits the fan, during which we're allowed time to get to know the characters - their quirks, their personalities - so we can empathize with their situation. The stakes feel real, as they should (and were), which is a testament to the directing and the acting. Mark Wahlberg and Kurt Russell dominate in their roles, Russell given the opportunity to remind us why he's one of the biggest stars ever. The supporting cast is excellent, including John Malkovich, Gina Rodriguez, and Dylan O'Brien, who have chemistry and rapport between other characters (Malkovich and Russell sharing a couple intense moments where not a word is said).

The disaster itself is portrayed brilliantly. The tone remains frantic and the stunning special effects work puts it over the edge. Once things go south, it's a nonstop adrenaline rush till the end. The only reason it's not rated higher is because it's merely a depiction of events, nothing groundbreaking or revolutionary in regards to storytelling. But it didn't have to be. This was a tragic event and the gritty realism shown here is as refreshing as it is intense. If you're in the mood for a deeper-than-average thrill-ride, look no further than Deepwater Horizon.

A journey into areas we don't often see...

[brooksrob1 · 8/10 · 12 November 2016]

I read the reviews before I watched it, Generally, an over 7 is usually a decent movie and you won't be disappointed.

I like the technology and the Rig speak, which for guys that work with their hands, just sounds right to the ear.

These guys did a good job of portraying a Gulf of Mexico type Roughneck...Having spent 6 months in Biloxi, you meet the type...A quiet dignity and hellraisers when they're off...You have to respect the intricacies of the work these men do to keep us moving...

I really liked Malkovich's role, he put some meat on that bone; :)...Of course Wahlberg is good in his role too...Nice to see Kurt keeping up too...

If you're looking for subtlety and nuance, this is NOT the type of movie you should watch...If you enjoy watching men risk their lives to serve the nation's energy requirements and the sacrifices and sometimes the ultimate sacrifices, all in the name of the job; you'll be glad you saw it...

Respect to all whose job can kill you...Stay safe.

Focuses mainly on the explosion & immediate aftermath, and little on the finer details

[0w0 · 7/10 · 8 May 2020]

It's sad to think that Transocean/BP lost nothing, and 11 people lost their lives (and who knows how many millions of animals died from the 210million gallons of oil that was spilled).

Transocean/BP got at least a $500million insurance payout, and who knows how many billions of dollars they made from the Deepwater Horizon rig in the 10years that they operated it. And NOBODY went to prison. 11 people dead and no repercussions.

Anyway, the film is pretty good... I would have liked it if they went into a bit of detail on what all the various terms is that they used like marine riser, annular, EDS, kick, and so on. They used to many terms and jargon that the average viewer is left in the dark. They could maybe even have shown what the capping process looks like in the aftermath of the whole event, as I think the capping process would have been very interesting and would have placed a capper (excuse the pun) on the whole movie.

But it's a good movie to watch if you're interested in the whole event, even-though it does offer only a cursory glance at the causes of the disaster, and spends the majority of the time focusing on the panic & mayhem that happened during the actual explosion.

The strengths of "Deepwater Horizon" are its strong characters and its extraordinary attention to detail.

[dave-mcclain · 7/10 · 30 September 2016]

Peter Berg makes movies, but he also knows a lot about deep-water oil exploration. He'd have to, considering how complicated this dangerous activity is, and how well he handled those complexities and portrayed that danger in his film. Berg directed "Deepwater Horizon" (PG-13, 1:47), the dramatization of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil rig explosion which killed 11 people and resulted in the largest oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry and the biggest environmental disaster in U.S. history. A combination of faulty equipment and human error caused the disaster. Methane gas escaping up the rig's pipes enveloped it, ignited and eventually consumed the rig, which burned until sinking into the ocean 36 hours after the initial explosion. The titular rig's owner, Transocean, and its client, BP, traded accusations of wrongdoing for years, while various cases worked their way through the courts – and a lengthy environmental clean-up of the gulf coast proceeded. No one went to jail, but, according to Wikipedia, "To date BP's cost for the clean-up, environmental and economic damages and penalties has reached $54bn." But that's all scientific and industrial detail. This film is mainly a story about people.

Berg (with his screenwriters, Matthew Michael Carnahan and Michael Sand) personalizes the story by focusing on a few key people involved in the events depicted. Master electrician Mike Williams (played by Mark Wahlberg, who Berg also directed in 2013's "Lone Survivor") is a devoted family man with a loving wife (Kate Hudson) and a sweet and precocious daughter (Stella Allen), who's very proud of her dad and his job. Radio operator Andrea Fleytas (Gina Rodriguez) is a young, single woman who has a steady boyfriend and loves her vintage Ford Mustang, even if she does have trouble keeping it running. Both Mike and Andrea work for "Mr. Jimmy" (Kurt Russell, appearing on film for the first time with Hudson, who is his adopted daughter) is the caring, but tough and diligent Transocean foreman on Deepwater Horizon, who often finds himself at odds with BP's corporate representatives on the oil rig.

As Mr. Jimmy and his crew arrive at the rig for their three-week-long turn on board, it's apparent that the departing shift (including Berg, in a cameo role, in which he briefly talks with Russell's character) hasn't done their due diligence in taking care of operation and safety concerns on the rig. While entertaining two BP executives who are visiting Deepwater Horizon (and who present him with a safety award during a brief ceremony), Mr. Jimmy locks horns with BP liaison Donald Vidrine (John Malkovich). Mr. Jimmy insists on a test of the pressure entering the well from beneath the ocean floor. When the test gives conflicting results and the results of an alternate follow-up test complicates the situation further, the stage is set for disaster. The rest of the film depicts that disaster with astonishing detail and realism as everyone on that rig fights for survival and for the goal of getting back safely to their families.

"Deepwater Horizon" is a fascinating, entertaining and inspiring take on a real-life disaster. We get good character development and a detailed behind-the-scenes look at the considerations, disagreements and actions that led up to the catastrophic explosion, but there are a couple problems with all that. Berg does a good job with a combination of dialog, on-screen verbiage and impressive visuals to help us understand the dynamics at play, but it almost seems like too much, and the conversations, with a lot of technical jargon, characters talking over each other and seeming to mumble their lines, and some with various southern accents and some without, combine to make it difficult to tune one's ear to the dialog and understand everything that's being said. However, the main point of this movie is the survival story. Berg had a realistic version of the rig built (including many working components) for shooting. His attention to detail – in the set and in the film's visual effects is nothing short of remarkable. What's more, we care about the characters and the danger they're in feels real. For excellent acting, a well-developed story and incredible visuals, you should put this film on your horizon. "B+"

Amazing!

[Matin_Shwany · 7/10 · 13 December 2019]

Deep water horizon delivers what it was, the story based on the true events of deepwater horizon oil spill that exploded, well at first 30 mins was just getting into the story and building the characters i was waiting to reach the point when will the things were going to start, after all it got me into its atmosphere and catching up with the scenes, amazing cinematography with all those explosion and fires burning behind the scenes, discovering the life of those workers kinda gets hard to watch how people are dealing with those things, seeing people between life hope and survival, at the ending it was sad to see all those workers had lost their lifes, at last its well crafted, highly recommended if you like disaster types, 7.5/10⭐

Good job

[np-91278 · 7/10 · 23 July 2020]

At first, the kissing scene seemed like a movie. Then everything seemed to be where I came from. The accident happened in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. The acting of the actors is very good and really feels.

Everyone at the Rig SIte have the right to STOP THE JOB

[alaanazrem · 10/10 · 29 September 2016]

I am an engineer working offshore in North Sea. I have seen the movie this evening in UK. Is really a good movie, congratulations to all involved you done a great job showing a little bit of ''life in offshore rig''. Looks like in this movie is BP fault but in real world at the rig site everyone has the right to STOP THE JOB if something is wrong or something is going on against the procedures. I have work before in BP rigs in North Sea and I stop the job when I wasn't happy with what is going on I had all the support from the Service Company that I am working for and also BP company understood my concerns. If you are a engineer, roughneck, derrick-man or whatever you are at Rig Site if you think that something is going wrong and against the procedures STOP THE JOB. I do it and I will do again better to lose my job than to see people dying.(Thanks for reading my review)

Oils well that ends well

[bob-the-movie-man · 6/10 · 8 November 2016]

"Full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing" could be a summary of this modern-age disaster movie. In 2010 the "Deepwater Horizon" drilling rig off the coast of Louisiana failed in spectacular fashion, bursting into flames and spewing millions of barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico in what was the worst oil-spill in American history. Mark Wahlberg plays the well-respected electrical 'Mr fixit' Mike Williams on the rig, reporting to the Operations Manager Jimmy Harrell (Kurt Russell).

The exploratory project is way-behind and BP are not happy. Big-wigs from the company add support to Donald Vidrine, the BP site leader, in applying mounting pressure on Harrell to press on regardless without all the necessary and time-consuming tests by Schlumberger being completed. Rogue numbers in further tests are waved away as 'glitches'. A familiar story of corporate greed and pressure overriding the expert's better judgment.

When disaster strikes it strikes quickly, with some spectacular and exciting special effects that leave the audience especially hot under the collar. Female support is provided by the comely Andrea Fleytas (Gina Rodriguez), given the almost impossible job of keeping the floating bomb on station as chaos reigns about her. As an audience we are back on familiar ground here from classic Irwin Allen disaster movies such as "The Towering Inferno" and "The Poseidon Adventure". Who will make it, and who won't?

A more telling question here is "Do we care?" and unfortunately for the film, the answer is "Not really". This feels a callous thing to say when this was a real and recent event and eleven people and – as touchingly illustrated at the end of the film in tribute – many of them family men with young kids, never went home again. But film-wise, we only really get bought into the fate of Williams, whose back-story, with cute wife (Kate Hudson) and cute daughter (Stella Allen) we get to meet and sympathize with.

We get a minimalist view of Fleytas's backstory, but only enough to provide a recurring "Mustang" reference. And that's it. All the other characters are just two-dimensional "rig crew": cannon-fodder for the special effects team. The screenplay by Matthew Sand and Matthew Carnahan really doesn't deliver enough heft to get us bought in.

While the special effects are good, the sound design isn't, with much of the dialogue being incomprehensible.

All the acting is fine, with the ever-watchable John Malkovich nicely portraying the corporate head you love to hate. Wahlberg as well delivers enough range to make you forget in this "action mode" that he was also in "Ted". And Rodriguez as a junior lead holds her own against the big guns in what is a creditable performance in a big film role for her.

While "Lone Survivor"/"Battleship" director Peter Berg neatly provides an insight into life on and around rigs, and (via subtitles) descriptions of the drilling process which I found interesting, this comes down to the sum of a tense build up, an hour of frenetic disaster, and then a whimper of an ending. Where were some of the dramatic scenes of conflict in the congressional hearing that the film's opening implies might come? Where are the scenes of ecological disaster and local financial ruin to add emotional angles to the story? None of this is really exploited and the whole concoction comes across a bit "meh" as a result. Not a bad film by any means. But not one I will remember in a month or two's time.

(Agree? Disagree? For the graphical version of this review and to comment please visit bob-the-movie-man.com. Thanks.)

Must be seen in the theatres! (IMAX if possible)

[audiodave_82 · 9/10 · 29 September 2016]

I usually don't write reviews but saw mostly negative reviews on here so far and that ain't right.

It is not a perfect movie and it's not artsy, or profound. However it is very entertaining, has wide appeal, will make you laugh, have you on the edge of your seat and might even make you cry. It's a slow build at the beginning but the tension soon rises and you will then be hooked. The effects appear to be realistic and mostly practical made with a production value that appears to be one of the most expensive films ever made (which alone is impressive given it is not a sequel or superhero movie).

Mark Wahlberg works as an everyman lead, but it is Kurt Russel who steals the show. Maybe the performance of his career, and the strongest aspect of the film in my opinion. Malkovich is also amazing as the villain, stealing every scene he is in. The two of them along with the incredible story done with top notch sets, effects and sound is exactly why you have to pay the money to see this on the biggest screen possible.

If you need a film to be a character study or you want senseless action from start to finish then you might be one of the people who is disappointed. But if you are looking for a gripping story with great tension and action that can be enjoyed by a wide range then go see this film.

Good, just not emotionally draining

[gregsrants · 6/10 · 18 September 2016]

We all remember the images of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Millions of gallons of oil spewed from the ocean floor for 87 days all captured and broadcast with a live internet feed. It was the worst oil spill in US history and BP oil has paid over $70 billion in fines and clean-up efforts.

But what you might not remember is that the spill occurred when the floating oil rig Deepwater Horizon suffered a catastrophic explosion which resulted in the loss of 11 crew lives. Director Peter Berg (Lone Survivor) again teams up with actor Mark Wahlberg in an attempt to bring the fascinating and heroic story to audiences in the action-biopic Deepwater Horizon.

Wahlberg plays Mike Williams who was the chief electronics technician for Transocean on the Deepwater Horizon. Scheduled to work upon the oil rig for just a few weeks, Williams along with Transocean offshore installation manager Jimmy Harrell (played by Kurt Russell) quickly identify that BP has cut corners with safety measures in an attempt to hit production targets. "Money, money, money" one of the operators sings as his conclusion to BP's negligence.

Concerns represented by Williams and Harrell do little to convince on-site BP officials to radically change course and slow operations until all safety precautions have been taken. Their disregard resulted in a high pressure methane gas explosion that engulfed the rig platform. One hundred and five crew members were on board when the explosion took place at approximately 9:45PM CMT. Ninety-Four were rescued. Eleven crew were never found.

Wahlberg and Russell are both convincing in their respective roles. It might be difficult in theory to rationalize Wahlberg as an electronics technician, but the versatile actor convincingly plays a smart family-oriented blue-collar worker and the ultimate hero of the film.

Much of the first reel deals with BP's neglect and the conflict with the experienced workers aboard the rig. The unflattering digs are not discreet and we imagine that BP in no way will be exultant to see how Matthew Michael Carnahan and Matthew Sand's screenplay shines the light on corporate greed. Berg does his best to try and describe the safety tests that took place aboard the vessel, but it's not until the first explosion that audiences will become engaged in the horrific ordeal.

Berg is no stranger to blowing things up. We all want to forget 2010's Battleship, but it likely did expose Berg to A-Level special effects and they are on full display here. The Deepwater Horizon replica is considered the largest set ever built and Berg most have took delight in completely devastating the platform with pyro techniques and theatre rattling explosions. Kurt Russell ran through fires and explosions in 1991's Backdraft, but things are turned up a notch here.

As an action film, Deepwater Horizon works wonderful well. For certain, audiences will not bored through the blasts and heroics of our protagonists. Where the film does falter is in its emotional appeal. Although we get a small glimpse into the home life of Mike Williams (his wife is played by Kate Hudson who acts with father Kurt Russell for the first time), the film doesn't pull at the heartstrings for the eleven souls lost that fateful April evening. They are memorialized before the end credits role, but they are lost in the shuffle of action packed sequences that consume the 107-minute running time of Deepwater Horizon.

The film is still important. It is important that we learn from our mistakes and that we remember the fallen. It's just unfortunate that Berg was unable to take a gallant story and turn it into something that acted as historical reference, casual entertainment and emotional groundwork that would evoke change in big industry standards.

Dive Deep Into The Horizon Of Flames

[rgkarim · 8/10 · 29 September 2016]

What is it about disasters that we enjoy watching? I could come up with a number of reasons, but the bottom line is that Hollywood has shifted to dramatizing former events as a means for more movies. Hi, Robbie K here bringing you another review of the latest films to grace the screen. Tonight we hit Deepwater Horizon starring Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, and a handful of other actors. Let's get started.

LIKES: • Great acting • Over the top graphics • Emotionally stimulating

You might be thinking that I have gone crazy, after all Wahlberg hasn't had the greatest roles. Deepwater Horizon breaks the mediocre streak and drops him into a position that may net him an Oscar nomination. Wahlberg's portrayal of Mike Williams is certainly a heroic one filled with wisdom, strength, and a calm edge that sets the stage for a natural leader. But there is also a realistic side brought out near the second half the screen that balances out the heroic theatrics of Hollywood. Kurt Russell no surprise plays his usual rugged role, making sure to add the hard edge testosterone rush all older actors need to bring. Hudson and Malkovich get A's as well, each bringing the needed involvement to round out the cast. All the extras and lesser billed roles complete the picture as a close oil crew, but much of their time is spent standing around or ducking from fire.

Speaking of fire, the visual effects are top notch in terms of computer graphic imaging. Deepwater Horizon's reconstruction of an oil rig succumbing to its doom is very realistic. For you technical folks, the directors have crafted scenes to mimic the daily operations involved with pumping oil, from watching gritty mud flow through the pipe to the cracking foundation floor. That sound boring? Well those looking for a little more suspense will be impressed when the whole operation blows to pieces…literally. You might be amazed seeing the rig, and its crew, get covered in oil before erupting into a fiery inferno you've seen in the trailers. My friend described the visuals being so good, he felt immersed into the disaster, wanting to duck or dive as explosions rattled the screen.

Of course the real magic to the visual effects are the emotions it brings with it. The various sequences and montages of the exploding metal certainly paints a terrifying picture as you wonder how much time is left until something falls. Now add our characters trying to traverse the obstacle course from heck, feeling horrifying chills run through your body as you watch human bodies hurled through the air and disturbing injuries protruding in gory details. However, it is not all dismay and dread, no Deepwater Horizon has plenty of sequences and montages of heroism that will make you a little proud to be a human…no matter how overly theatrical it could be.

DISLIKES: • Overdramatic at times • Already know the ending • Editing needs work

I'm probably sounding overcritical or nonsensical, but here it goes anyway. Deepwater Horizon is at times a bit on the overdramatic side. As I said, much of the movie will light a fire in your soul that will have your patriotism in full force. Unfortunately, some of these moments are a bit too fake and in your face to get my full backing, primarily making an effort to pan on the American flag flapping in the flames. Even the more heroic moments sometimes get a bit too corny, the overdramatic focus on the camera amid a symphony soundtrack blaring pride. Again, they get the message across and deliver the emotion, it just sometimes gets a little too Hollywood for me.

The special effects and the noble protagonist will certainly spread suspense and awe, but it doesn't help that you know the ending. If you paid attention to the news, you know all about what happens to the rig, and if you choose to ignore history take a look at the trailer. The opening sequence doesn't help things either by telling you the fate of a certain character that further adds predictability to the mix. What does leave in terms of suspense and surprise? Pretty much it is the fate of the crew that held any mystery to me, and that was scarce at times. Perhaps another minor dislike, but still one nonetheless.

In regards to the editing, this one is a tough call to make. On the one hand I appreciate the details they provide about the incident, from the development of the disaster to how they faced the inferno the rig became. And yet, I felt some of it was elaborated too much for my liking. The build up was a little too long and drawn out, making it slightly boring as we waited for the dirt to hit the pipe. As the oil begins to bloom into a fountain the pace picks up, but then hits a very slow, somewhat pointless, standstill at the aftermath of the situation. Yes, it provides realism and rounding out of the characters, but again is a little too extended after all the excitement. They probably could have spared about fifteen minutes, but hey that's just me.

THE VERDICT:

Despite this being the third historical event to get a movie this month, Deepwater Horizon will provide the emotional thrills you want. A fantastic CGI design that's brimming with emotion and suspense. However, the predictability and overdramatic moments fall in line with Hollywood's magic and takes away from the message of the movie. I have to recommend this one for the theater though, primarily for the technological achievements it brings.

Overall my scores are:

Action/Drama/Thriller: 8.0 Movie Overall: 7.0

Remarkable special effects

[fredrikgunerius · 7/10 · 6 August 2023]

The very much generic disaster movie structure bogs down the early parts of this based-on-true-events film about the explosion aboard the American oil drilling rig Deepwater Horizon in 2010. Peter Berg introduces his characters in a rushed, formulaic manner, with dialogue that plays out too snappily and rehearsed, and Mark Wahlberg and Gina Rodriguez are so desperate to come off as blue-collar that they end up sounding borderline parodic. Still, once the tragic events of that night in April 2010 start taking over, which are brought to life with a brilliant technical and visual artistry, the clumsy interpersonal elements are moved to the background and the film attains a dynamic, high-octane drive which will leave you invested and exhausted. It's a remarkable achievement by the film's special effects team, who are able to make the action look organic. And with the action propelling them forward, the actors also begin to find their footing, not least Kurt Russell who gives a believable performance as the rig's installation manager.

What about consequences?

[lucacervellera · 3/10 · 23 January 2017]

This movie depicts only the incident on the oil rig. The real disaster, the catastrophic consequences on the environment are not taken into the story line. I was expecting much more. You can learn a lot watching some videos on youtube.

Most important part of the story seems swept under the carpet and hidden to the audience.

The topic is so critical and the result is so outrageous that everything about screenplay, the acting, the visual effects, are not worth to be judged.

So disappointing that makes me angry. 3 stars, because after all is a good disaster movie. If it wasn't a true story it could be a 6.

Well Done

[Tweetienator · 6/10 · 18 October 2021]

A solid disaster flick with some good production and acting, the first half is a little too slow for my taste but after the catastrophe strikes Deepwater Horizon rolls on like a beast.

Don't Listen to Naysayers

[lavaside-60237 · 7/10 · 12 July 2023]

The title is 'Deep Water Horizon' - not '2010 Oil Spill'.

The story is about the rig.

The only reason the story is being made about said rig - is because it blew up.

Hence, the 1st act is the set up for the explosion, the 2nd act is the explosion, the 3rd act is the aftermath.

And it's all done really well.

Anyone complaining about it are in one of two camps - people complaining the whole 2nd act was about the explosion - and people who wanted it to be about something else.

They both must lack anything better to do.

Malkovich steals the show with how he transformed himself. Russel is great. And Mark Wahlberg is always Mark Wahlberg. That's no surprise.

The only reason I'm giving it a 7 instead of higher, is because disaster movies like this have no rewatch value.

But as far as the subject matter goes, they did the best that could have been done, with such a simple story to be told.

Rig there one day.

Boom.

Rig not there anymore.

Made with good intentions, but doesn't really work

[Wizard-8 · 20 May 2017]

Although what I stated in my above summary line may make you think that I thought that "Deepwater Horizon" was a bad movie, that is actually not the case. It's more of a misguided movie instead. The movie can be basically divided into two halves, and each half doesn't really work.

The first half suffers from the fact that it is way too long and talky. Yes, some time should have been taken to set up the situation and try to educate the audience what is going on, but I don't think it had to be to the extent (about fifty minutes) that the movie thinks it had to run. As a result, it's often quite boring.

The second half of the movie (when the disaster starts) is a bit better - there is some excitement and suspense, though it suffers from the fact that a lot of the CGI special effects are not really all that convincing. Also, it ends a bit abruptly in some regards before the closing credits start to roll.

I think the movie may have worked better if its 107 minutes were divided into three equal length parts - the first part setting up the situation, the second part devoted to the unfolding disaster, and then a final part showing the characters adjusting after the disaster. But as it is, the movie is kind of misguided. As I said, it's not an awful movie - there is some genuine merit here and there, like some good acting and sympathetic characters - but the whole package is somewhat unsatisfying.

Good movie but not emotionally draining like The Lone Survivor.

[akosijesu · 6/10 · 5 October 2016]

Based on a New York Times article, "Deepwater Horizon's Final Hours", this film attempt to memorialize the tragedy in red, white, and blue unfortunately speaks to the slender nature of its source, in as much as its plot is essentially nil. Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg) routinely boards the rig, leaving his wife (Kate Hudson) and daughter on shore. On board the Deepwater Horizon, Mike and Mr. Jimmy (Kurt Russell) bode ill tidings when they discover that the departing drill team left without doing a safety check on the hole. Things turn from bad to worse as BP's Donald Vidrine (John Malkovich), aggrieved at being behind schedule and over budget, eschews the necessary concrete test and excuses a failed systems test in order to proceed with further drilling. Pretty soon, he looks like a jackass when the whole rig explodes in his face.

And after that the film is just Wahlberg running around in a frenzy trying to get people off the rig and because of that they forgot to attached the characters to the viewers that the viewers didn't care anymore to watch the actual video of Deepwater Horizon after the film.

3 over 5. Competently made, more explosion and intense but not a pretty picture.

Deepwater Horizon Is Explosive

[mark-durfor · 8/10 · 27 September 2016]

In April of 2010, an offshore drilling rig named Deepwater Horizon exploded resulting in the worst oil spill in U. S. History. If you've read my previous reviews about Eddie the Eagle, Steve Jobs, The Big Short and Spotlight, you know that it's easy to get caught up in the details of how much of the story based on actual events really happened and how much was embellished or altered to make a Hollywood movie. Along the way, I have made a decision to do no research into the facts of the real-life story and just focus solely on the movie itself. I mean, the movie makes no claims to be a historically accurate documentary, so I shouldn't hold it to those standards. And this blog isn't about movies being historically accurate when they don't necessarily claim to be. It's based on two factors: how accurately the movie is portrayed by its preview, and the likelihood of the movie making it to my home collection. With that in mind, here's my review:

Mark Wahlberg plays Mike Williams who works on the drilling rig the Deepwater Horizon. But that's the third thing we learn about Williams from the preview. He's a husband and a father first. He says goodbye to his family before being flown by helicopter with his crew to the rig. All his daughter wants is a dinosaur fossil. All his wife (Kate Hudson) wants is for him to return safely. Once aboard the rig, an executive named Vidrine (John Malkovich) and others from British Petroleum are more than anxious to commence with drilling. They skip a concrete test and excuse a failed system test. They are already 43 days behind and over budget and will do whatever it takes to not fall further behind despite Mister Jimmy's (Kurt Russell) stern objections. They should have listened to Mister Jimmy because everyone's worst nightmares explode into reality.

Deepwater Horizon marks the reunion of Director Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg who collaborated on Lone Survivor three years ago. It was nominated for Oscars for Sound Mixing and Sound Editing and won the Screen Actors Guild Award for best stunt team performance. While Wahlberg has been nominated for his roles in The Fighter and The Departed, he's one of those reliable actors who makes smart choices. If you've liked one thing Wahlberg has done, odds are,you'll like them all. Most of them won't get nominated for awards, but they will all be entertaining. Berg is in the same category. He's directed some really good movies (Lone Survivor, Battleship, Hancock,The Kingdom), but none that would really break into a critic's top 50 list. Like Wahlberg, if you enjoyed one of Berg's movies, odds are, you'll at least feel you got your money's worth with all of them.

From the preview, I said that Deepwater Horizon looked action-packed and visually stunning, but that it also looked predictable with pieces of the rig falling apart or blowing up blocking every turn as Williams and the survivors try to find a way to escape. I anticipated 3 Stars but I'm bumping that up to 4.0 Stars. It was exactly as the preview said it would be and it was absolutely predictable; however, even though you knew what was coming, it was so perfectly executed, it still shocked you. From the beginning, there was no doubt about the fate of the rig as not-so-subtle clues were dropped along the way from his daughter's school presentation, to the tie of the executive, to the helicopter ride to the rig. You knew it was going to happen, but when it did, it choked the breath right out of you and didn't give it back until the very end of the movie. It is worth the money to watch in theatres. Though I'm not sure I'll be owning Deepwater Horizon, I will be watching it again.

Deepwater Horizon (2016)

[rockman182 · 6/10 · 20 December 2016]

Peter Berg is a fairly streaky director. He's had some pretty bad films (both Hancock and Battleship) come to mind but then again Lone Survivor was not bad and had some gripping action. I think Berg is in a place where he trusts an actor and trusts the formula of bringing a real life event to the screen. That's basically where Mark Wahlberg and his past, present and future film is (Lone Survivor, Deepwater Horizon, and Patriots Day). As mentioned earlier Lone Survivor's depiction of war and the action based cinematography kept your eyes glued to the screen, so how would the followup film stack up? The trailers for the film were not interesting. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill and explosion was obviously a disaster and a sad event but was it worth a film? The build to the events of the disaster are slow. You sit through a lot of the jargon of the oil drilling world. I'd say its easy to lose interest in the first third of the film, especially if you don't get invested in the film's characters. You also have to sit through some bad accents (which is a pet peeve of mine). The films got a fairly good cast to boot and for the most part there are no faults acting wise. Gina Rodriguez was convincing, I haven't seen anything with her previously but she delivered. I also liked Kate Hudson in the small doses of the film that she appears in. She seemed like a raw character who was genuinely afflicted with her husbands situation and the up in the air nature of his safety really showed through in the emotion of her character.

I'm a fan of Mark Wahlberg. He doesn't always choose the best projects but he might be on to something co-oping with Peter Berg for a few films. You won't complain about Wahlberg being the hero here. Once the disaster occurs the pace picks up which is a good and bad thing. I'd say the first act was not very engaging and sort of set the tone for the rest of the film. The action depiction is great. There are moments of it that will captivate you and depending on who you are you will be moved with the raw emotion depicted in the film. Be warned though, that the event is prolonged so there's not much else going on outside of the event. I saw a lot of similar camera-work from Berg in this and Lone Survivor. The camera at times seems to be a spectator just set as a fly on the wall for the events. The camera-work also becomes frenetic and pacy, which adds to the atmosphere set by the very scary and unpredictable event.

Once the disaster occurs and the film really starts rolling, there is decent satisfaction. I thought this film was better than I hoped, which is really much better than my expectations going in. However, its not a perfect film and can't stay wholly engaging. Worth a watch for the peeps who like Berg/Wahlberg or are fascinated by the event. Otherwise, your response to this film may (much like mine) be rather indifferent.

6/10

An Emotional Thrill Ride

[ThomasDrufke · 8/10 · 30 September 2016]

Deepwater Horizon is the first of two Peter Berg directed films this year, and if Patriots Day is anywhere near as good as this film we could be looking at quite a few nominations for Berg come February.

Deepwater Horizon tells the story of the crew members of the rig of the same name in April 2010, when the largest oil spill in U.S. history began. Berg is always a guy to count on with this type of harrowing true story. He has the skills of an action film director while also having the delicate hand for an emotionally powerful touch. And much like the recently released 'Sully', this film is a strong tale about the power of the human spirit.

Putting Battleship aside, Berg has always had a knack for directing high intensity sequences of trauma and thrills. Even taking that note into a smaller scale with Friday Night Lights, Berg is great at managing to balance intensity and emotion. Deepwater Horizon is perhaps his biggest scale film thus far, but it's also incredibly personal as well. It stars Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, Gina Rodriguez, and Kate Hudson. All of them get the opportunity to act in small intimate moments as well as physically demanding scenes.

Usually, it's those small moments that bring the emotions out of me, and that was Kate Hudson here. I feel like she hasn't gotten a lot to do since her breakout with Almost Famous, but this may be the best she's been since. She plays Wahlberg's wife, and it's simply her reactions to the devastation on the oil rig while she's at home, that really got to me. Powerful stuff.

With all that said, sometimes the high octane thrills feel to be heightened just for heightening certain situations. Berg never loses sight of the end goal here, but some 'action'-ish scenes are almost a little too much, considering how contained this story feels. It doesn't take you out of the film, but you will feel like it could have been handled differently.

Like Berg's previous film, Lone Survivor, it does a nice job of honoring those who died at the rig and the families severely affected by the tragedy. It's a powerful film with gripping performances from Hudson and the rest of the cast that will likely lead it right into the awards season come winter time.

+Berg's delicate touch

+Hudson

+Devastating

-Some heightened moments

8.6/10

Does what it says on the tin...

[kayfret · 6/10 · 19 October 2016]

An action-thriller disaster movie based on true events - basically you go in already knowing what to expect and that's pretty much what you get. I certainly wasn't bored, but I also wasn't overly thrilled. The tension does build up to good effect, though unfortunately there were no standout moments or performances. (I've never been a Mark Wahlberg fan, though he is perfectly tolerable here, Kurt Russell is decent, as is John Malkovich, though I found his Cajun accent jarring).

Loss of human life is, of course, tragic and it's understandable that this was the focus, but I'm disappointed that they barely even mentioned the horrific ecological disaster that followed.

Impressive Dramatization of a Tragic Disaster

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 27 December 2016]

When the superintendent Jimmy Harrell (Kurt Russell) and the chief of maintenance Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg) disembark on board of the Transocean semisubmersible offshore drilling rig "Deepwater Horizon", they are surprised with the information that the Schlumberger people had not conducted the pressure test in the deep water cement.to confirm the wellbore integrity. The BP representative Donald Vidrine (John Malkovich) had sent them home to save money. Jimmy decides to run tests but Vidrine believes the result is a problem in the sensor and orders to open the well. However the cement does not resist and there is a blowup with tragic consequences.

In 2010, the Oil & Gas industry was surprised with the news that a blowout had caused the explosion of the Transocean semisubmersible offshore drilling rig "Deepwater Horizon" and killed eleven workers. Two days later, the platform sank, causing the largest oil spill in the US waters. "Deepwater Horizon", the 2016 film, is an impressive dramatization of the incident with the drilling rig with many technical details. However the screenplay is very well-written and the plot is accessible to the common viewer. The performances and the special effects are top-notch. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Horizonte Profundo: Desastre no Golfo" ("Deepwater Horizon: Disaster in the Gulf")

Genuine Tension

[markzipperboy2 · 7/10 · 9 June 2020]

Wonderful cast that brought a palpable tension and edge. Slow start but edge if ur seat drama mostly

NO plot and highly misleading

[sne-14344 · 1/10 · 30 September 2016]

VERY impressive: NO plot and highly misleading. Promulgates the idea that oil comes from dead dinosaurs and gives the impression that it was just 2 low-level BP guys on the rig that made the decision to cut costs by skipping a cement test and failing to keep routine maintenance top notch. No clear indictment of BP's criminal company culture of safety negligence for the benefit of stock dividends and executive remuneration, as established by Lord John Browne and continued by Tony Hayward.

Much urgent and heroic pushing of buttons and switches and discussing gizmos with no explanation of what is going on or how this drilling target was geologically any different from all the other offshore locations on Earth (Macondo being unlike most other drilling targets because of extremely high fluid pressure in the formation, just below the fracture threshold of the rock layers holding the oil in). So from this movie, we get the news ALL oil drilling is SUPER dangerous. The usual Hollywood negligence to script-writing. Might be meaningful to rig workers, except I have the suspicion that anyone knowledgeable would smell plenty of foni- baloni cooking.

And then the solemn photo-tribute to the 11 guys killed as the credits roll. Fine, but were they brave as they died one-by-one fighting to control the well, as the script implies? I understand that all 11 were instantly killed in the initial blast. Of course, 99.99% of the viewers will of have no idea that the Alexander Kjelland (1980) and Piper Alpha (1988) rig disasters each killed an order of magnitude more.

And the only environmental representative in the movie is one bird (who, nevertheless, gave an Oscar-worthy performance).

Watchable but unexceptional disaster movie

[chriskylie · 7/10 · 16 August 2020]

A paint by numbers disaster film, saved by an A list cast and captivating effects. Berg does manage to inject a fair amount of pace and tension into a very light weight script to make a watchable, undemanding popcorn flick.