Overview
A gripping tale of environmental justice unfolds as one man takes on a corporate giant.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- serious
- brooding
- infuriating
- serious movie night
- social justice film discussion
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a powerful, humane, and infuriating account of corporate environmental malfeasance, anchored by Mark Ruffalo’s performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Robert Bilott gradually builds an environmental case against DuPont by tracing contamination, documents, and health evidence.
Pollution from chemical manufacturing causes long-term health and ecological damage in West Virginia communities.
Bilott risks his career and family stability while challenging a major chemical company and its legal resources.
The film presents contamination, illness, legal delay, and corporate evasion as an accumulating source of dread rather than a sensational threat.
Films like Dark Waters, and why
Erin Brockovich
shared true-story legal investigation, corporate corruption, and grounded moral urgency
A Civil Action
shared environmental catastrophe, institutional negligence, and slow-building investigative drama
The Insider
shared whistleblower subject, corporate malfeasance, and restrained procedural tension
Spotlight
shared systemic corruption, public health stakes, and investigative journalism tradition
Movie Details
- Director
- Todd Haynes
- Release Date
- 2019-11-22
- Runtime
- 127 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (2625)
Cast
- Mark Ruffalo
- Anne Hathaway
- Tim Robbins
- Bill Pullman
- Bill Camp
- Victor Garber
- Mare Winningham
- William Jackson Harper
- Louisa Krause
- Kevin Crowley
Where to watch in United States
- 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 Dark Waters about?
- A corporate defense lawyer risks his career and family to uncover a chemical company’s decades-long contamination of a rural community.
- What is Dark Waters like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dark Waters as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Dark Waters violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Dark Waters.
- What did critics think of Dark Waters?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a powerful, humane, and infuriating account of corporate environmental malfeasance, anchored by Mark Ruffalo’s performance.
- Which films are like Dark Waters?
- Films with a similar feel include Erin Brockovich, A Civil Action, The Insider, and Spotlight.
- How long is Dark Waters?
- Dark Waters runs 127 minutes.
- Where can I watch Dark Waters?
- In United States, Dark Waters is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
