Movie Review: Deepwater Horizon


Deepwater Horizon tells the story of a 2010 oil rig explosion that killed eleven people and left many others injured. I wasn't familiar with the story before this movie, but it's definitely an interesting one, and the film is worth seeing in the theater.

Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg) is leaving his wife, Felicia (Kate Hudson) and daughter, Sydney (Stella Allen) for about 23 days to go work on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, for lack of a better term, in the Gulf of Mexico. The Deepwater Horizon is led by Mr. Jimmy (Kurt Russell) and has about 120 men and women working onboard, including Andrea (Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin), who works in the control room; Jason (Ethan Suplee), also a control room worker; and Caleb (Dylan O'Brien, The Maze Runner), who works out on the "frontlines" with the oil. BP exec Vidrine (John Malkovich) is also on board, and is pushing for BP's oil to be obtained quickly, while skipping standard tests, which later doesn't bode well for the oil rig. When a test comes back with a bad result, the rig suddenly starts rapidly leaking oil, and a fire breaks out onboard, endangering the lives of everyone who works on the Deepwater Horizon.

This film was a little hard to keep up with, because of all of the oil business terms, but the movie tries its best to explain what is what, using on-screen explanations, and so that definitely helped. I'm a huge fan of Jane the Virgin so it was interesting to see Gina Rodriguez in a more dramatic role, too, and the rest of the cast is very good here as well, most notably Wahlberg, Russell, and Malkovich.

Yes, see this movie. I wouldn't pay full price for it but I'd see it at a matinee. The first half of the movie was decent but didn't grab my attention that much; however, the second half is when it goes into full-on "disaster mode," and that is definitely more fast-paced. Deepwater Horizon is still the largest oil spill in the world, and is considered the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history. Make sure to stay through to the beginning of the credits, too, as the movie pays homage to the men who died on the Deepwater, listing names and photos of each.

Deepwater Horizon is in theaters today, September 30th, and is rated PG-13 with a runtime of 107 minutes. 3.5 stars out of 5.

Popular Posts

Review: Polar Pizza at Baskin-Robbins

Image
*Disclosure: I received a gift card to try the new Polar Pizza at Baskin-Robbins. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. Baskin-Robbins launched its Polar Pizza last month (July), as I talked about in my recent post about them, and because this past month was crazy busy for me, I didn't get to try the Polar Pizza until this past Sunday. My parents and I went to the combined Dunkin' Donuts / Baskin-Robbins near them, in Novi, MI, to split one of the ice cream pizzas.
Read more

Upcoming and GIVEAWAY: Mamma Mia! at the Fisher Theatre, Detroit, April 23-28 {ends Dec. 12}

Image
*Disclosure: I have an ongoing media relationship with Broadway in Detroit. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. MAMMA MIA! will be playing at the Fisher this April, from April 23-28, and I'm excited to see it—I'm a big fan of the movies but I've never seen the Broadway show. About the show: Since premiering in London in 1999 and on Broadway in 2001, the irresistible musical has captured the hearts of millions around the globe. The sunny, funny tale of a mother, a daughter and three possible dads on a Greek island paradise, all unfolding to the storytelling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs, has now been seen live on stage by 65 million people across the world and turned into two record-breaking movies – MAMMA MIA! The Movie and MAMMA MIA! Here We Go Again. To date, MAMMA MIA! has been seen in 50 productions in 16 different languages grossing more than $4 billion at the box office. MAMMA MIA! opened on Broadway in 2001 where it played for a record-breaking 14 year
Keep reading

GIVEAWAY: Duel in the D, February 10 at Little Caesars Arena, Detroit {ends 1/10}

Image
*Disclosure: I have an ongoing media relationship with 313 Presents. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. I had a great time at Duel in the D last year—I'm a UM alum, but I had only ever seen ONE hockey game in my life at that point, and this was the second one.  I'm looking forward to it again this year, and one of my lucky readers will win a 4-pack of tickets to experience it as well! About the game: The return of college hockey is headed to Little Caesars Arena with the annual “Duel in the D,” presented by Meijer, set for Saturday, February 10 at 8:30 p.m.  The fans of Hockeytown will be treated to one of the most intense and exciting rivalries in college hockey, as the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans men’s ice hockey teams will add another chapter in their storied rivalry and clash for the “Iron D” Trophy.  The “Duel in the D” matchup features the most-played rivalry in college hockey. The game will mark the 346th all-time meeting between the h
Keep reading