A fitting, yet somewhat sensationalistic look at what is now the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history

Rating: 7/10 (5 October 2016)

Deepwater Horizon is a biographical disaster film starring Mark Wahlberg. Based on the 2010 explosion and oil spill of the titular oil rig, the film is a fitting, yet somewhat sensationalistic look at what is now the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history.
On April 20, 2010, the oil rig Deepwater Horizon, located in the Gulf of Mexico, suffers a major blowout, resulting in a huge explosion which kills 11 workers and causes thousands of gallons of oil to leak out into the ocean. The film depicts the events leading up to this incident and the workers desperate to escape the raging inferno on board.
While the film does tend to overly-dramatise certain moments involving the disaster, the performance from the cast kept the film from straying too far into unbelievable territory. Mark Wahlberg, who also co-produced the film, gives a solid performance in the lead role of Mike Williams, as does Kurt Russell playing crew member Jimmy "Mr. Jimmy" Harrell. After the explosion occurs, you can really feel the sense of panic and shock emanating throughout the characters as they try to deal with surviving far out in the ocean. Surprisingly, the film barely focuses much on the oil spill itself but rather on just the blowout and the explosion. I would have liked to have seen more emphasis on the aftermath of the spill rather than only on the destruction of the rig. Overall, the film is still a worthwhile tribute to all those on board who died and to those who tried to save their fellow co-workers on that fateful night in April.
I rate it 7/10.