"Deepwater Horizon" is directed by Peter Berg and tells the story of those working on the titular oil rig that exploded and was the catalyst for the 2010 oil spill. Some of Hollywood's best pull the story together with raw emotion and some heated drama.
Mark Wahlberg plays Mike Williams, Chief Electrical Engineer on the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig. Him and his supervisor Jimmy Harrell (Kurt Russell) come to odds with BP executives who have been cutting corners when it comes to the testing and ensuring the overall safety of the rig. After back and forth arguing and running through the rig speaking with different departments of operation, the Deepwater Horizon fails and explodes, leaving the Wahlberg and other crew to find the drive to survive.
This cast works great together and really makes the oil rig seem like a true worksite, with playful banter and small talk that seems true to life. Wahlberg and Russell's characters have the knowledge and experience to know that the rig isn't functioning properly but can't convince the money hungry BP men otherwise. John Malkovich plays one such executive, and he lives to see the weight of his failure. The younger cast is also wonderful, notably Jane The Virgin's Gina Rodriguez and Maze Runner's Dylan O'Brien. We learn about the workers' personal lives and it gives leverage when they are struggling to get to the life boat.
The real center of the story is Mike Williams and his family. Kate Hudson plays Felicia, Mike's wife. Her and their daughter are counting on him to come home safe and sound, and we see his family in a state of panic as they await to hear any news. Mike is a hero of sorts on the rig, ensuring Harrell and his other coworkers are safe as they try to minimize damage. He even gives Rodriguez' character the push she needs to jump to safety near the end.
"Deepwater Horizon" is full of tension and pain. It pays tribute to those who lost their lives, and sheds light on the mostly unreported story of what caused the infamous 2010 oil spill. It shows the courage and sacrifice Williams, Harrell and others made to ensure the safety of the workers and how BP and it's executives were lacking on that front,
