Making a film about the worst oil spill in U.S. history is not exactly an enviable task, particularly when such an event killed 11 people and captured the national media attention for months. Thankfully, the film in question is helmed by Peter Berg, who has already proved himself adept at faithfully capturing harrowing true-life stories on screen (see Lone Survivor and the upcoming Patriots Day). Bolstered by an incredible cast and sensitive handling of the material, Deepwater Horizon proves a more-than-engaging watch.
The film spends its first chunk analyzing the conditions that led to the disaster, as Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg) and other crewmembers head out for a 21-day stint on the eponymous offshore drilling rig. But soon after landing on the rig, crew leader Jimmy Harrell (Kurt Russell) begins to question the authority of the British Petroleum big-wigs on board (headed by John Malkovich’s Vidrine). Why did the inspectors leave so soon? Did they have enough time to properly inspect the cement foundation? A pressure test produces mixed results, but it’s generally agreed upon that Jimmy’s fears are unfounded. Of course, we know that isn’t the case, and such a mistake would soon make history.
It is a credit to Matthew Michael Carnahan’s and Matthew Sand’s script that this portion of the film immerses the audience heavily in technical dialogue and terminology without losing us. Every step of the process is gripping, but we hang on every detail because we want to know exactly how this disaster came about. Of course, the film recognizes that the blame rests on the shoulders of BP, which skipped important safety checks due to playing catch-up on a rig that was already many days past schedule and millions of dollars over-budget. But it wisely shies away from politics; the BP execs are not painted as villains, and really, their decisions were the kind of banal, bottom-line, profit-first decisions companies make every day. But they happened to make these decisions on an oil rig, and the consequences have reverberated in history.
Deepwater Horizon is a harrowing portrayal of a true-life story anchored by understated performances.
When the rig does blow, it does so spectacularly. Seeing a massive metal and concrete monstrosity become a warzone is a relentlessly intense experience. Men are caked in mud and oil, debris flies through the air like bullets, and even the water is on fire. Enrique Chediak’s steady cinematography allows us to see the action and chaos clearly; this is thankfully no queasy-came shake-fest. The crew’s scramble to reach the lifeboats and escape the hellfire in one piece is undeniably tense.
But what really grounds this film are the performances. Wahlberg does an always-admirable job, but it’s the supporting cast that provides the film’s heartbeat. Malkovich, Russell and Kate Hudson (as Mike’s concerned wife), in particular, practically disappear into their roles. They’ve never looked less like movies stars, and that’s a high compliment, especially when playing real-life characters that may not be particularly well-known.
Deepwater Horizon is ultimately a pretty straightforward survival story, although it is made with superb craftsmanship. It ends with some real-life footage of Mike Williams and others preparing to testify on their experiences. I’ve no doubt that, in the right hands, a film dealing with the rest of the story involving the fallout of the spill and the 87-day journey to contain it would be just as harrowing. If Deepwater Horizon occasionally feels like it’s only telling part of the story, it’s suitably gripping from beginning to end. Besides, that’s what’s sequels are for, and we all know how much Hollywood digs those.