Does “Deepwater Horizon” sink or swim? The answer is elusive and complex to produce. An intelligent reviewer, such as myself, would conclude it does neither.
“Deepwater Horizon,” a film based on the true events of the disastrous Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, is a good, though not great, film. The film boasts a cast that includes Boston’s favorite “native son” Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, Gina Rodriguez, Dylan O’Brien, and Kate Hudson. O’Brien and Wahlberg easily turned in the best performances, mainly because their real-life heroic counterparts did heroic things when the “shit got real.”
Director Peter Berg could have cut down on the high number of failed attempts at humor, used to humanize the characters before the impending disaster erupted (literally). Those parts were very reminiscent of a comedian having a bad night on stage. On a second note, Malkovich’s southern accent did not work at all. Malkovich sounded more like he was auditioning for the villain role of a Disney animated movie. It was weird and unconvincing. On a third note, Hudson, who played the wife of Wahlberg’s character, seemed bored at times–except for when she was crying.
The film does ramp up quite a bit when the rig explodes with mud, after Malkovich’s character pressures lower-level employers to keep drilling against the warnings of Wahlberg’s and Russell’s characters. It is quite sad and very emotional when one realizes how many people did not make it to the raft boats. The film portrays the people on these rigs working to supply other Americans with gas to fuel our cars or to heat our homes.
Anytime there is a film depicting man vs. the elements of nature, it is an extremely humbling experience. But after the crisis is averted and the smoke clears, all that is left are our tears of sadness and despair, and the reminder that at any moment death can reach out and grab us whenever it so chooses, no matter how cautious and safe-minded we attempt to be. Nature cares little for our fragile state of existence, and “Deepwater Horizon” paints a picture showing us just that. If human greed and error are mixed in with natural elements, bad things will happen.
“Deepwater Horizon” also succeeds in its portrayal of the plight of those who keep these oil rigs everyday to provide us with the gas we use for fuel. The realization that humans are nothing in the grand scheme of things, despite our need to drill for gas, is an important message. It keeps our hubris in check. However, it is also a theme that is dangerously close to becoming a “dead horse.”
This is the perfect film for anyone who cares about the environment or oil rig workers. In any case, “Deepwater Horizon” is a good film and offers an opportunity to learn a little bit about the oil industry and the effects it has on companies, people, and the environment in good and bad situations.
If nothing else, it’s a great way to spend an hour and a half, and a great way to watch things blow up.