Berg highlights heroism in 'Horizon'

Rating: 7/10 (22 July 2018)

We all know the story from the headlines - the April 2010 BP oil rig disaster off the Louisiana coast that left 11 dead and many more injured. In Peter Berg's 'Deepwater Horizon,' we see the circumstances that led up to the moment when the rig malfunctioned, as well as the heroism that took place as the events unfolded in the black of night.
The focus of 'Horizon' is not on the politics behind the disaster, nor is it about the technical aspects of working on an oil rig (although there's a little bit of both mixed in here). It's about the people. Chief among them is Mike Williams, portrayed by Mark Wahlberg, who oversees electrical engineering, and operations supervisor Jimmy Harrell (played by a banged up Kurt Russell). The Williams/Harrell duo try to raise awareness of the state of the 'Horizon' to the BP bigwigs, including one middle manager played by John Malkovich. But where the cast really delivers is showing how people acted when everything went to hell.
'Horizon' has the signature marks of a Berg film. From shaky-cam effects and aerial shots to Michael Bay-esque sound effects and heart-pounding soundtracks. The action sequences are enough to keep you interested throughout, and visual spectacles cause by a structure in chaos. People's heroic actions are highlighted, like Andrea Fleytas (Gina Rodriguez) and Caleb Holloway (Dylan O'Brien), and the fact that there are actual real individuals who were able to make a difference as employees escaped the inferno is a positive aspect to focus on.
Sure, some could say 'Deepwater Horizon' is over the top and melodramatic, and it languished at the box office. But the fact that it pays homage to those who lost their lives or were forever impacted by this disaster - something that was lost in the aftermath as covered in the media - is a solid reason why this film was made.