compelling real life disaster

Rating: 7/10 (26 March 2017)

It's April 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. Deepwater Horizon is an exploration oil rig hired by BP oil to drill a well in the deep ocean floor. Jimmy Harrell (Kurt Russell) is the supervisor and Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg) is the chief technician of Deepwater Horizon. BP managers Donald Vidrine (John Malkovich) and Robert Kaluza (Brad Leland) are cutting corners and canceling vital tests. They push the delayed schedule which leads to a big explosion and environmental devastation.
The action, the true-life story, and the characters are all very compelling. I rarely wish for more expositions but the film could use some to lay out the ocean oil drilling operation. Peter Berg tries to do a little with the can of soda. The film is not actually confusing but a detailed explanation could help lay down the foundation. This is more of an action thriller. The crew of the Deepwater Horizon is left blameless while BP and the two managers are made as the sole villains. I don't disapprove but it's a little simplistic. Overall, this would be a good disaster movie even if it's fictional.