Deepwater Horizon
2016  PG-13  DRAMA  1h 47min
CAST— Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, Gina Rodriguez, Dylan O’Brien, Kate Hudson
MUSIC— Steve Jablonsky  DIRECTOR— Peter Berg  BASED ON— True events

     Absolutely riveting account of the final moments aboard the Deepwater Horizon, told with stunning visuals that add emphasis to, instead of needlessly detracting from, the final impact. The Deepwater Horizon was a floating semi-submersible drilling rig leased by BP. Her crew was responsible for both the first and final steps of the drilling process which, as it turns out, can be pretty dangerous business. Mark Wahlberg stars as the Chief Electronics Technician aboard the rig, which was dubbed by the crew as the Well from Hell, due to its constant maintenance issues. Despite group efforts and plenty of overtime hours the rig was behind schedule in 2010; thus the heat was on from visiting BP bigwigs. Captain Kurt Russell refused to be pressured into inefficiency by the executives, but his safety tests resulted in tragedy. A catastrophic explosion rocked the rig, injuring some, killing others. Chaos ensued, with all aboard at the mercy of the elements. With burning treacle below, raging flames surrounding them, and structures collapsing over their heads those remaining were in for a tense night. Though harrowing and terrifying, the film is also a tribute to the average Joes who face danger in their respective lines of duty, heroes all. A shining example of what a good CGI team (properly used, of course) is capable of producing. Simply stunning.
OUR RATING— *** ½