‘Deepwater’ leaves audiences wanting more
The film “Deepwater Horizon,” available on DVD and Blu-ray this week, portrays one of the worst oil spills in United States history.
In April 2010, the offshore drilling rig, Deepwater Horizon, exploded and created a disaster on the seas.
According to a New York Times article written by David Barstow, David Rohde and Stephanie Saul on Dec. 25, 2010, “Crew members were cut down by shrapnel, hurled across rooms and buried under smoking wreckage. Some were swallowed by fireballs that raced through the oil rig’s shattered interior. Dazed and battered survivors, half-naked and dripping in highly combustible gas, crawled inch by inch in pitch darkness willing themselves to the lifeboat deck.”
The film, directed by Peter Berg (“Battleship” and “Friday Night Lights”), stars Mark Wahlberg (“Boogie Nights” and “The Fighter”) as Mike Williams, chief electrical engineer and Kurt Russell (“The Hateful Eight” and “The Thing”) as Jimmy Harrell, operational supervisor.
The film has received mixed response from critics and audiences alike.
Brian Tallerico, a critic with RogerEbert.com, wrote in his two out of four star review, “BP cut corners, and people died. Now how do we tell that story in an entertaining way while also making a piece of art that gives back to a community impacted by the tragedy? Tough questions, and one the film never pulls off.”
Tallerico goes on to say that while the film gets the explosions right, it is the event’s surroundings, the people, the aftermath and the tragedy, that it neglects.
Kevin M. Williams, an audience reviewer on RottenTomatoes.com had the same argument as Tallerico. He wrote, “There’s not a lot of exposition here, not a lot of getting-to-know the characters, just here-are-some-people and then a hellacious amount of crap exploding. And so its not too bad at all.”
The film is rated PG-13 for prolonged intense disaster sequences and related disturbing images.
Other films out on Blu-ray and DVD this week include:
N “Closet Monster” starring Connor Jessup, Isabella Rossellini and Aaron Abrams and directed by Stephen Dunn in this drama about a creative teen who wants to leave his hometown and the memories of his terrible childhood behind.
The film is currently not rated.
n “The Birth of a Nation” starring Nate Parker, Armie Hammer and Penelope Ann Miller and directed by Nate Parker in this historical drama about the slave, Nat Turner, who was a preacher in the South that creates an uprising.
The film is rated R for disturbing violent content and some brief nudity.
n “Under the Shadow” starring Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi and Bobby Naderi and directed by Babak Anvari in this horror film about a mother and daughter who are trying to cope with the war-torn country of Tehran of the 1980s when their home becomes haunted.
The film is rated PG-13 for terror, scary images and brief language.
TV series on Blu-ray and DVD this week include:
n “Mr. Robot” season two starring Rami Malek, Christian Slater and Portia Doubleday in this crime thriller about a young man who is a cyber-security engineer by day and vigilante hacker by night.
N “Homeland” the complete fifth season starring Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin and Rupert Friend in this mystery drama about a CIA operative who is convinced that a prisoner of war is planning an attack on America.
N “Archer” starring the voices of H. Jon Benjamin, Judy Greer and Amber Nash in this animated comedy about covert black ops and espionage and the wacky secret agents who work together.