Deepwater Horizon is directed by Peter Berg (Lone Survivor) and stars Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, and Gina Rodriguez. It tells the story of the April 2010 explosion of the offshore drilling rig, Deepwater Horizon, which lead (according to the film) to the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
I didn't have a lot to say after watching this film. However I stumbled on some behind-the-scenes drama that I found really interesting. BP, the oil company who rented Deepwater created a lot of legal issues for Peter Berg and the rest of the people involved. For one thing they we're prevented from renting an existing oil rig and had to build one themselves. There were also details about the incident that they were prevented from portraying in the film. In an interview Berg said "we had a scene that might have suggested that workers were under pressure to say the rig was safe because BP managers wanted to move on to another oil well. It was 100% true and very well documented, but the lawyers were concerned it was making BP look too responsible for the blowout." One of the biggest arguments was about the cement poured into the well to control it's pressure. BP sent the team who were supposed to test the cement home before they could test it. This is considered to be a major factor in the incident but the writers had to be very careful about how they portrayed it in order to avoid a lawsuit form the subcontractor who poured the cement or the company that failed to perform the test.
As fascinating as (I think) some of this behind-the-scenes drama is, it doesn't speak much to the quality of the film itself. Berg's direction is solid. He really knows how to make a biting thriller and the down-to-earth script helps to place the viewer in the middle of the events. The movie does a good job setting up the main characters and making them sympathetic, if not all that nuanced, and the cast does a really good job all around, especially Walhberg. My only real complaint, besides the lack of character development, which is mitigated somewhat by the strength of the performances, is that the film feels a little too conventionally Hollywood at times. There is a lot of (not so subtle) foreshadowing which seems somewhat unsuitable for a more realistic movie like this. There are also a few over-the-top moments in the climax that strain credulity a little. But these are fairly minor issues.
Many have criticized Deepwater Horizon for its apparent lack of conviction in taking a stronger stance against BP and the oil industry which is somewhat ironic given that BP seems to have the opposite stance. I think that, given the circumstances, Berg and his crew did the best they could. The real point of the film is to highlight the heroic actions and sacrifices of the workingmen on board the rig. Honoring the common man seems to be an emerging pattern in Berg's films. Lone Survivor paid tribute to the infantry soldier and the upcoming Patriots Day looks like it may do the same for police officers. In the end, I'm just glad that this film has elements that are worthy of serious discussion. If your tired of disaster movies like San Andreas or Independence Day: Resurgence, Deepwater Horizon will seem like a breath of fresh air.
Score: 9/10
(If anyone wants to learn more about this film and the events that inspired it I think the article I quoted above, The 'well from hell' – my fight with BP to film Deepwater Horizon, would be a good place to start.)
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