'Deepwater Horizon' film explores causes of BP oil spill

In April 2010, BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, spilling over 210 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico over 87 days. It was the biggest oil spill in U.S. history. The accident killed 11 people and created a massive environmental health hazard that required an enormous cleanup project.

Six years later, director Peter Berg has created a dramatized version of the events in an upcoming film titled Deepwater Horizon, set for release Sept. 30, which does not shy away from identifying the greed and recklessness that led to the environmental disaster.

Starring Mark Wahlberg as chief electrical technician Mike Williams, the film explores the battles, arguments and confusion that preceded the explosion and oil spill and depicts worker attempts to escape the rig following the accident.

The film does not attempt to tell a tale of heroism or bravery, according to film critic Matt Goldberg. Instead, Berg attempts to show the audience nothing less than a terrifying experience with few redeeming factors.

This film is not a feel-good story about coming to each other’s aid in a moment of human bravery—instead, it is a brutal indictment of the reckless and selfish corporate decision making that led to the worst oil spill in history.

Benjamin Lee, film critic for The Guardian, described the film as a "deservedly angry retelling," calling Deepwater Horizon “a gruelling disaster movie and a reminder of one company’s catastrophic oversights” that “stands as a worthy tribute to the brave men involved.”

Peter Berg spoke about his motivations and reasoning behind the film.

“I don’t entirely blame BP for behaving like BP,” he said. “It’s like, BP is a for-profit corporation. Obviously they’re in it for money. They make no illusions about it …  Any company that makes a lot of money is going to behave in certain ways. If they’re losing a lot of money over here, they’re going to have a reaction.

“That’s what was happening with that oil rig,” Berg continued. “They were losing money. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was a complicated well, they were losing money. The problem is, they didn’t react properly.”

The film recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.