Deepwater Horizon (2016)

A dramatization of the disaster in April 2010, when the offshore drilling rig called the Deepwater Horizon exploded, resulting in the worst oil spill in American history.

Director:

Peter Berg

Writers:

Matthew Michael Carnahan (screenplay by), Matthew Sand (screenplay by)

Stars:

Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, Douglas M. Griffin

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mark Wahlberg	...	Mike Williams
Kurt Russell	...	Jimmy Harrell
Douglas M. Griffin	...	Landry
James DuMont	...	O'Bryan
Joe Chrest	...	Sims
Gina Rodriguez	...	Andrea Fleytas
Brad Leland	...	Kaluza
John Malkovich	...	Vidrine
David Maldonado	...	Kuchta (as Dave Maldonado)
J.D. Evermore	...	Dewey A. Revette (as JD Evermore)
Ethan Suplee	...	Jason Anderson
Jason Pine	...	Stephen Ray Curtis
Jason Kirkpatrick	...	Aaron Dale Burkeen
Robert Walker Branchaud	...	Doug Brown
Dylan O'Brien	...	Caleb Holloway

Storyline

In April 2010, there is no oil exploration operation in the Gulf of Mexico to compare with the Deepwater Horizon oil rig with its size or sheer depth of its drilling. However, the project for the BP oil company is beset with technical difficulties to the point where the general operational supervisor, Jimmy Harrell, and his Chief Electrical Engineer, Mike Williams, are concerned potentially dangerous trouble is brewing. Unfortunately, visiting BP executives, frustrated by the project's long delays, order curtailed site inspections and slanted system tests to make up for lost time even as Harrell, Williams and his team helplessly protest for the sake of proper safety. On April 20, the workers' fears are realized in the worst possible way when the rig's various structural and system flaws spark a catastrophic cascade of failures that would create a massive blowout and explosion that threatens them all, even as it also begins the worst environmental disaster in US history.

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Plot Keywords:

disaster movie | oil rig | deepwater horizon oil spill | oil | system test | 

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Taglines:

Inspired by a true story of real life heroes

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Genres:

Action | Drama | History | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for prolonged intense disaster sequences and related disturbing images

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Site

Country:

Hong Kong USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 September 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Deepwater Horizon

Filming Locations:

Chalmette, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$110,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$20,223,544, 2 October 2016, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$61,284,947, 2 December 2016

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$118,188,581, 11 December 2016

Company Credits

Production Co:

Summit Entertainment, Participant Media, Di Bonaventura Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

DTS (DTS: X) Dolby Atmos 12-Track Digital Sound (IMAX 12 track) Dolby Digital (2.0 Night Listening) IMAX 6-Track

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mark Wahlberg has worked with director Peter Berg in Lone Survivor (2013), Deepwater Horizon (2016), Patriots Day (2016) and Mile 22 (2018).

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Goofs

Just before the onset of the blowout, visiting BP staff are seen wandering around the derrick floor in their smart shirts. Ths is a major breach of safety rules. No one ever steps on a derrick floor without protective equipment. Similarly, Andrea should have permanently donned a coverall. And Mr Jim would normally, before anything else, don his coveralls upon disembarking from the helicopter.

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Quotes

Jimmy Harrell: The pressure test costs about what, a hundred and fifteen thousand? BP is a thirty three billion dollar company, and you say you can't afford...
Vidrine: That is why we are a thirty SIX billion dollar company, because we worry about all those bills.
Jimmy Harrell: I worry about my rig! My people live on it. You just rent it!

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Crazy Credits

During the opening logos and first few opening credits, you can hear a real life audio clip from the trial that ensued following the disaster.

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Connections

Featured in Beyond the Horizon (2017)

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Soundtracks

FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY
Written by Kenny Gamble (as Kenneth Gamble), Leon Huff, and Anthony Jackson

User Reviews

An Emotional Thrill Ride

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