Burning hope

2010 may not seem like such a long time ago but it does surprise me that it has already been six years since the Deepwater Horizon explosion which caused the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Even more bewildering is how damaging this man-made disaster was to the environment and yet BP (British Petroleum) was dealt with very minuscule ramifications for their actions since then. Deepwater Horizon serves as a crucial reminder on the long-term harm caused to the ecosystem (the impacts which are still being felt today) and a story of the people who witnessed first-hand the intense ordeal. Set on the very day of the incident, Michael "Mike" Williams (Mark Wahlberg) and the crew working on the Deepwater oil rig are thrown into unfathomable chaos when a blowout causes an explosion which threatens to sink the rig as well as the lives of the members on board. Williams and Caleb Holloway (Dylan O'Brien) scramble to help the surviving members get off the rig before it sinks with everyone on it. Deepwater Horizon feels like a big-budget disaster film (a well done one for that matter) cleverly disguised as a story about the bravery of the crew members and their actions. The visual effects are a feast for the eyes; it's hard to tell what is CGI and what is practical but the transition between the two is seamless. Never has the amalgamation of destruction and beauty gone so well together as present here. The biggest strength of the movie is the ensemble cast which is literally the heart of the story as well as for the entire film. The characterizations on each individual are performed amicably well and never feels as if they're being exploited for the sake of the film. Some characters get more screen time than others but their weight feels as equal as to the others, as a way of saying the members that made the ultimate sacrifice are just as significant as the ones that survived. If it weren't for the strong performances, the magnificent action and Peter Berg's keen direction wouldn't have had the same impact as everything else. This is one of those movies that hits you hard and expects you to take to heart of the noble acts of these overlooked heroes; a rare spectacle that accomplishes in capturing the infernal mayhem and making us as the viewer feel the horrors of what these individuals went through. Deepwater Horizon comes highly recommended and is one of the best films of 2016.

-Reviewed by Razor, 10/2/16