“Based on true story” movies always seem more emotional because they really happened. Though the actors in these films aren’t actually harmed, someone in the real world was, and that idea is terrifying.
“Deepwater Horizon” is no exception as it tells the tragic story of the oil drilling rig explosion that killed 11 people on April 20, 2010. The explosion caused the worst oil spill in U.S. history which flowed for 87 days, contaminating the Gulf of Mexico and its inhabitants.
The film focuses on one worker, Mike Williams, played by Mark Wahlberg, who saves several crew members from the fire and lives to tell the tale and expose British Petroleum (BP), the company responsible for the explosion.
“Deepwater Horizon” does a very good job of explaining how the oil spill occurred. Since oil drilling is a very complicated process, it was important that the film clarify how it works. Even if you went into the theater knowing nothing about oil, you will leave knowing exactly what happened.
The film also showed an aspect of the tragedy many may have never thought of: the families at home. Since this type of drilling occurs in the middle of the ocean, the people who work on those rigs are often away from home for weeks at a time.
Felicia Williams, played by Kate Hudson, shows the worry and panic of a wife whose husband is at sea on an oil rig. Felicia has the difficult job of keeping her daughter calm when she finds out that Mike is aboard Deepwater Horizon as it is burning.
This film brings light to an American tragedy that didn’t receive enough publicity considering how many people were affected. Its extremely graphic scenes of the explosion really pull the audience into the water and successfully demonstrate the severity of the blast.
The movie ends with real footage of Mike Williams’ testimony of what happened that day and a memorial slideshow of the men who died as a result of the explosion.
If you’re going to see “Deepwater Horizon,” bring your tissues and be prepared to be shocked by the horrifying events that resulted from the BP oil spill.
