Deepwater Horizon (2016)
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A harrowing look at the real-life events of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The story
On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig is set to complete drilling off the southern coast of Louisiana. The crew is alerted by the fact that they are being sent home early without conducting a critical cement bond log at the insistence of BP managers. As the team prepares to move to their next job, a series of decisions regarding pressure tests and safety protocols are made. The operation initially proceeds smoothly, but the situation quickly deteriorates as the integrity of the well is compromised, leading to a massive blowout that threatens the lives of everyone on the rig.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Following a failed cement job, a massive blowout occurs on the Deepwater Horizon rig, killing several crew members and causing a catastrophic oil spill. As the rig is engulfed in flames, the remaining crew members, including Mike Williams and Jimmy Harrell, must navigate a chaotic evacuation. While some are rescued by nearby vessels, others must fight through fire and collapsing structures. The film depicts the frantic efforts to contain the situation and the ultimate loss of life. After the disaster, the survivors are shown reuniting with their families, while the film concludes with real-life footage and testimonials from the actual survivors, including Mike Williams and Andrea Fleytas, and a tribute to the eleven men who perished in the 2010 explosion.
- First release year
- 2016
- Runtime (minutes)
- 107
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Peter Berg
- Writers
- Matthew Michael Carnahan · screenplay; Matthew Sand · screenplay; Matthew Sand · story
- Cast and characters
- Mark Wahlberg · Mike Williams; Kurt Russell · Jimmy Harrell; John Malkovich · BP representative; Gina Rodriguez · Andrea Fleytas; Dylan O'Brien · Caleb Holloway; Kate Hudson · wife of Wahlberg's character
- Genres
- biographical; disaster; thriller
- Themes
- Corporate negligence; Survival; Environmental disaster; Sacrifice
- Tone and mood
- Serious; Gripping; Tense
- Premise and plot tags
- Based on true events; Disaster; Oil industry
- Source material / true-story basis
- The New York Times article 'Deepwater Horizon's Final Hours' by David Barstow, David Rohde, and Stephanie Saul.
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics but was considered a box-office disappointment due to its high production costs.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 82% · scale: percentage · review count: 265; Metacritic · score: 68 · scale: 100 · review count: 52
- Awards and nominations
- Oscar · Best Sound Editing · Nominated; Oscar · Best Visual Effects · Nominated; BAFTA Award · Best Sound · Nominated
- Production trivia
- A 70-foot tall, 85% scale version of the rig was built for the production.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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