Deepwater Horizon is yet another in the growing list of cinematic ventures between actor Mark Wahlberg and director Peter Berg. While this union hasn’t exactly been producing classics, they’re not making movies that you would completely regret watching due to them being horrible either. That was one reason to have some kind of hope in Deepwater Horizon, but it turns out that this may be the best movie the duo has ever collaborated on.
Based on the oil spill that took place in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon focuses on the group of people who fought for their lives that night. With Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg) as the central figure, audiences are not only asked to follow some of the most frantic moments of that period that ended in the survival of some, they’re allows given a chance to learn about what exactly it was that led to the destruction and chaos the took the lives of many.
Wahlberg’s performance is something that’s asked to carry the picture to an extent, since he’s the main character. While he isn’t bad or anything, his nonexistent attempt at a southern accent is a glaring issue that some may a problem with. Although it doesn’t bother me much, I can see how that would affect some people’s view of the film to an extent. It’s made even more problematic for some when they play audio of Mike Williams, the actual person that Wahlberg is portraying.
Aside from that, people will be seeing this movie for the events and the stories that surround them. Although the action comes all at once, Deepwater Horizon turns out to be a strong action flick. It’s not everyday that you see a movie with so much build up become such a reliable action movie, but that’s what happens here. This segment of the movie is the selling point after all, so it’s important that what’s seen here is interesting enough to keep your attention.
During the build up that precedes the action, I did find myself engaged with what was being presented to me. They do a good job of introducing the characters and the situation leading up to the inevitable destruction that awaits everyone. Doing this allows them to turn this into a cinematic event that lasts longer than a one hour documentary on the subject that you might see somewhere on television.
In spite of some of the flaws that it has, Deepwater Horizon is something that’s easy to recommend. It may not be an amazing work of art, but it’s able to effectively tell its story as well as engage its audience while paying off your patience with some riveting action based on a series of unfortunate events from real life. Those factors are important when making movies that audiences will actually want to watch that are often times overlooked by filmmakers. Luckily, they aren’t ignored here.
Rating: PG-13
Director: Peter Berg
Cast:
Mark Wahlberg
Kurt Russell
John Malkovich
Gina Rodriguez
Dylan O’Brien
Kate Hudson
Film Length: 107 minutes
Release Date: September 30, 2016
Distributor: Lionsgate
- Score - 7/107/10
