Deepwater Horizon (2016) – Review

As people we are able to look at complex problems and think of solutions. Because of that we now have technology which allows us to leave the earth, but also to have a device in our hands with which we are able to do more than we would be able to imagine just 20 years ago. It’s also impressive that we are able to build oil rigs, which are essentially very specialised ships, and get them to the middle of the sea and drill a whole in the sea floor in order to get some hidden oil out of the ground. But as is the case with all technology, things can go wrong, sometimes because of the material (just think of various rockets which didn’t manage to reach space), but often also because of human error. The consequences can be disastrous and Deepwater Horizon takes a look at the events which happened in 2010 when this went horribly wrong on this oil platform.

In April, 2010 the Deepwater Horizon is about to start drilling off the coast of Louisiana. Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg) and supervisor Jimmy Harrell (Kurt Russell) are surprised when they discover that the men who pour the concrete in order to keep everything stable have already been sent home without tests being performed if it is able to stand the pressure that will be placed on it. When BP management decides to open the well, a disaster takes place.

 Deepwater Horizon is a disaster movie based on real events, making this not a movie that’s simple entertainment, but which tries to show the decisions which were made which would eventually would lead to what happened. Mark Wahlberg plays the central character who takes the viewer into this world, but he’s not the only well-known face. Actors like Kurt Russell, Gina Rodriguez, Dylan O’Brien and John Malkovich are all part of the cast. Complex concepts are explained at the beginning of the film making sure that the viewer is up to speed. The end result is a movie which feels very realistic. Because of that it managed to surprise me (in a good way), because my expectations had been very low before.