Based on fact, this was truly fascinating. Director Peter Bergh had an interesting vision for the film with excellent photography, and great attention to detail. The sound was also incredible. The film is an absolute masterpiece - from the great cast to the mind blowing visual effects. The music was awesome and highly effective. The build up to the disaster was very well done with tension almost from the start. Once the action started, it grabbed hold of you and never let go, as it plunged the viewer deeper into the "well from hell" with every frame. It was simply spectacular and one of my favorite disaster movies.

From the evil cooperate leaders to the hardworking American hero, to watching the American flag against a background of a burning structure. Typical pandering to America movie.

Deepwater Horizon There are some disaster movies that are straight up disasters. Hollywood likes to feed us a steady diet of them. Usually from the guys and gals that brought us Independence Day regurgitated or ridiculousness like Geostorm!Here director Peter Berg has brought us a fantastic film that tells the story of a real life disaster. An explosion that occurred in 2010 on the off shore oil rig named Deepwater Horizon, which created the worst oil spill in history. Like I said, a real life disaster. A story that is told by firstly introducing us to real life characters that are developed before any chaos ensues. This is masterfully done by Berg and scriptwriters Matthew Sand and co to cement the audiences care for what happens to the lives on screen. There's no hot shot scientists here played unconvincingly by Hollywood's latest Beef cake! Instead Mark Wahlberg proves that he can actually act when he's not too busy getting caught up in Transformers nonsense. We also get a commanding performance from the always brilliant Kurt Russell as Mr Jimmy, the man in charge. Peter Berg takes his time setting the movie up before events unfold. He gives the audience a chance to learn a little about oil extraction and the pressure that is applied by multi billion dollar companies wanting their payload. John Malkovich gives a solid performance as the BP executive named Vidrine who is applying such pressure to Russell's character. A great performance even if Malkovich's accent seemed a little erratic at times.When disaster does eventually strike it is incredibly staged and this movie looks and sounds fantastic. The special effects are some of the best I've seen in recent years. Sound design is ear shatteringly good. If like I, you missed this movie at the cinema, please watch this on the biggest TV you can find with a good 5.1 surround sound set up. This film deserves that much. Deepwater Horizon is as much as an immersive experience as it is good story telling. The Dolby Atmos sound mix is a tool wonderfully utilised. Picture quality is top notch too with rich colours accentuating the unbearable heat caused by the devastating explosions. I thoroughly enjoyed Deepwater Horizon and this movie is proof that when done right a disaster movie doesn't have to be a disaster.

I didn't expect the film to be that much of an action movie, even though the Deepwater Horizon incident remained at the national forefront for over three months. After the characters are established and the premise of the story is set, the semi-submersible offshore oil drilling rig known as Deepwater Horizon turns into a veritable fireball with employees scrambling for their lives, or in the case of the eleven who didn't make it, a final, forbidding resting place. There's just enough well drilling science interspersed throughout the story to guide the uninitiated about what happened, with a thorough indictment made against the cost cutting maneuvers of the British Petroleum honchos calling the shots. Besides what we see here, I was also expecting in some way the eventual successful effort that shut the oil spill down, but the picture really only followed the tragedy through the first few days until the surviving crew members were all rescued. One's visceral response to the blazing inferno that consumed the oil rig is tempered by the fact that this was a real event that claimed eleven lives. What's impressive is the mammoth undertaking director Peter Berg accepted when offered the challenge to make the film. Extra features on the DVD describe the formidable task, putting you right in the middle of the disaster.