Overview
A gripping tale of survival amidst chaos as disaster strikes an offshore oil rig.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- urgent
- harrowing
- grounded
- disaster movie night
- action movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an effective, technically convincing disaster drama with strong action craftsmanship, while noting that its issues-oriented storytelling and characterization were less expansive than its spectacle.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jimmy Harrell and Mike Williams repeatedly confront curtailed inspections and manipulated tests before the rig's systems collapse.
The film emphasizes the Deepwater Horizon's enormous structure, drilling depth, explosions, fires, and collapsing machinery.
The story concentrates on the operational breakdown and catastrophic events of April 20, 2010, ending its primary dramatic arc around the evacuation.
BP executives push shortened inspections and slanted system tests despite warnings from the rig's supervisors and engineers.
Films like Deepwater Horizon, and why
Only the Brave
shared true events drama, industrial disaster, procedural tension, and ordinary workers trapped in a catastrophe
Sully
shared real-world disaster reconstruction, workplace peril, rescue pressure, and grounded action drama
The Finest Hours
shared maritime disaster setting, technical failure, ensemble survival stakes, and escalating catastrophe
The Towering Inferno
shared corporate negligence themes, trapped workers, environmental consequences, and large-scale disaster filmmaking
Movie Details
- Director
- Peter Berg
- Release Date
- 2016-09-28
- Runtime
- 107 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (5057)
Cast
- Mark Wahlberg
- Kurt Russell
- John Malkovich
- Gina Rodriguez
- Dylan O'Brien
- Kate Hudson
- J.D. Evermore
- Ethan Suplee
- Dave Maldonado
- Henry Frost
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Angel Studios, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Deepwater Horizon about?
- A tense true-event disaster drama follows offshore workers fighting to survive a catastrophic rig failure worsened by corporate shortcuts.
- What is Deepwater Horizon like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Deepwater Horizon as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Deepwater Horizon violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Deepwater Horizon as moderate.
- What did critics think of Deepwater Horizon?
- Critics broadly found the film an effective, technically convincing disaster drama with strong action craftsmanship, while noting that its issues-oriented storytelling and characterization were less expansive than its spectacle.
- Which films are like Deepwater Horizon?
- Films with a similar feel include Only the Brave, Sully, The Finest Hours, and The Towering Inferno.
- How long is Deepwater Horizon?
- Deepwater Horizon runs 107 minutes.
- Where can I watch Deepwater Horizon?
- In United States, Deepwater Horizon streams on Angel Studios, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel.
