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Deepwater Horizon

Play trailer 1:00 Poster for Deepwater Horizon PG-13 Released Sep 30, 2016 1h 47m Mystery & Thriller Action Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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82% Tomatometer 265 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, igniting a massive fireball that kills several crew members. Chief electronics technician Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg) and his colleagues find themselves fighting for survival as the heat and the flames become stifling and overwhelming. Banding together, the co-workers must use their wits to make it out alive amid all the chaos.
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Deepwater Horizon

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Critics Consensus

Deepwater Horizon makes effective use of its titular man-made disaster to deliver an uncommonly serious -- yet still suitably gripping -- action thriller.

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Critics Reviews

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K. Austin Collins The Ringer [Deepwater] knows what it is: not a memorial or a political indictment, but merely a movie. Aug 10, 2017 Full Review Jason Bailey Flavorwire Clumsy exposition aside, the dialogue feels authentic, tossing around the shorthand and lingo of the job, and the script is precise on the details without getting overwhelmed by them. Jan 17, 2017 Full Review David Sims The Atlantic Viewers will leave with a fine sense of how it felt to be on that blazing rig, but they'll still have plenty of questions about how and why things went so wrong. Oct 30, 2016 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Berg’s idea of social commentary is to shove the American flag into the frame at every opportunity. Rated: 2.5/4 Apr 4, 2023 Full Review Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies I’m an admitted disaster movie junkie, and many of them depend on some level of sensationalism. “Deepwater Horizon” keeps its focus on the 126 crew members aboard the rig on that horrible day. Rated: 4/5 Aug 20, 2022 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review It boasts a fine cast and technical display; however, the experience is limited to its 99-minute runtime and considers none of the extensive issues that stemmed from the disaster. Rated: 2/4 Apr 11, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Chris W WOW !! one of the best movies you can see. Based on true story and follows the events as they happened in this disaster. A MUST SEE. Great Acting Engaging true story. Excellent action and drama. This is a GREAT MOVIE. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/22/24 Full Review Matthew D Totally gripping and harrowing with real care for the actual oil riggers’ stories. Director Peter Berg’s historical disaster thriller Deepwater Horizon (2016) is surprisingly shocking as we witness how the BP Oil Spill happened. Berg gives us all the safety failures caused by corporate greed trying to rush back to drilling on an unsafe rig. Berg delivers raw, intense suspense as we know the rig will explode. Berg delivers the quiet beginnings, time with the oil riggers, causes for concern, then the pipe blowing up. Berg did a respectable job of directing Deepwater Horizon as a serious cautionary tale. Producer Mark Wahlberg was right to get this movie made to demonstrate how hard working class people have it, especially on an oil rig. Deepwater Horizon demonstrates how evil, arrogant, ignorant, greedy, and unsafe oil companies are as they recklessly damage the environment and risk human lives all for money. This is the human cost of a lack of safety protocols being followed by the suits interfering with the safety officers commands and opinion. Writers J.C. Chandor, Matthew Michael Carnahan, and Matthew Sand deliver intricate technical jargon that the oil riggers would actually use as well as the actual safety procedures followed or ignored. I was enthralled by how specific and informative Deepwater Horizon is actually. We get working class people speaking like how guys on an oil rig would actually speak and plenty of personality. I appreciate the serious tone and how alarming this situation is for the terrible loss of lives and sheer volume of oil spilled into the ocean. Mark Wahlberg is gripping as the cautious electrical safety guy Mike Williams, who tries to save lives as the oil rig collapses and incinerates. Wahlberg feels more like a regular guy than usual. It’s like his performance in The Perfect Storm. He feels worried for the workers’ safety and appropriately frustrated by the corporate suits’ lack of concern. Gina Rodriguez is great as Andrea Fleytas, who wants to shut off the valve early to save people, but gets denied by a corporate stooge. Kurt Russell is fantastic as the serious and stern safety commander Mr. Jimmy Harrell. Russell’s tough persona and iron will bring a real gravitas to Mr. Jimmy. He feels in control until BP’s corporate overseers come to ruin everything. If only people would listen to their safety officers. John Malkovich is infuriating as Donald Vidrine, who takes a cavalier approach to safety all to make BP more money, which gets men killed. He feels appropriately sleazy. Ethan Suplee is great as the oil pipe pressure overseer Jason Anderson. Kate Hudson is excellent as the worried wife of Mike named Felicia Williams. Dylan O'Brien’s brave oil rigger Caleb Holloway does everything he can in all the mud to try to shut off the pipe. The entire supporting cast feel like real oil rigger personalities. Editors Colby Parker Jr. and Gabriel Fleming build tension with cuts between the oil riggers’ actions and the oil rig underwater building pressure. Cinematographer Enrique Chediak has gripping close-up shots and long takes as people evacuate in striking wide shots. The moody lighting from Andy Ryan and Jaim O'Neil is crazy. The visual effects for the flaming oil rig from Tiffany Wu, Leslie Valentino, Jason Billington, Petra Holtorf, and Burt Dalton is astounding. Composer Steve Jablonsky’s insanely intense film score is harrowing and adds to the suspense and terror. It’s like one crescendo of musical explosions. Sound designers Renée Tondelli, Wylie Stateman, Dror Mohar, David Wyman, and Mike Prestwood Smith add groaning machinery and fiery noises all over for intense oil rig sonic atmosphere. In all, Deepwater Horizon is spectacular in its shocking oil rig explosive imagery, strong acting, informative technical terminology, realistic writing, and engaging acting. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/20/24 Full Review Daniel G I felt emotional about this film that dealt very effectively and respectfully with the real-life disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Above-average acting for an action movie - I usually truly enjoy Mark Wahlberg's protagonists. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/25/24 Full Review Zara T Very good movie, gripping and tense. The cast were great. Especially Walberg and Russell. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/19/24 Full Review Stephen S Its a movie about a disaster; true or not its a good movie, showing the emotions as well as why people do this type of work, for their family to have a better life, or hopefully. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 05/14/24 Full Review Lukas K A grim look at the consequences of unforgiving actions. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/23/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Deepwater Horizon

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Movie Info

Synopsis On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, igniting a massive fireball that kills several crew members. Chief electronics technician Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg) and his colleagues find themselves fighting for survival as the heat and the flames become stifling and overwhelming. Banding together, the co-workers must use their wits to make it out alive amid all the chaos.
Director
Peter Berg
Producer
Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian, Stephen Levinson, David Womark, Mark Wahlberg
Screenwriter
Matthew Michael Carnahan, Matthew Sand
Distributor
Lionsgate Films
Production Co
Participant Media, Di Bonaventura Pictures, Leverage Entertainment, Closest to the Hole, Warner Bros. Records
Rating
PG-13 (Disturbing Images|Brief Strong Language|Intense Disaster Sequences)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Action, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 30, 2016, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 22, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$61.4M
Runtime
1h 47m
Sound Mix
Dolby Atmos, DTS
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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