Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Thrilling tale of heroism during deadly oil rig explosion.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Deepwater Horizon
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 2 parent reviews
Based on 22 kid reviews
Kids say the film presents a compelling dramatization of a real-life oil rig disaster, featuring intense action, significant violence, and mature themes, which are balanced with strong performances and emotional storytelling. However, viewers should be aware of the frequent use of profanity and graphic scenes, making it more suitable for an older audience.
- intense action
- graphic violence
- frequent profanity
- emotional storytelling
- suitable for older viewers
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
DEEPWATER HORIZON is based on the real events leading up to the BP oil spill off the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010. The movie, directed by Peter Berg, focuses on a few of the heroes of the day. They're the supervisors and technicians who risked their lives for others' safety, including electrical technician Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg), who has a wife (Kate Hudson) and daughter to go home to; crew chief "Mr. Jimmy" (Kurt Russell); and one of the only women on the rig, Andrea Fleytas (Gina Rodriguez). The villains of the story are the BP company men who seemed to care more about profit than people's safety. They're led by Vidrine (John Malkovich), who orders Jimmy to go ahead and drill despite the chief's safety concerns.
Is It Any Good?
Despite knowing the story's tragic outcome, audiences will be totally caught up in Berg's tribute to how ordinary people proved extraordinary during the 2010 BP oil rig explosion. Even though a lot of the technical dialogue will go over most viewers' head, the script seems very realistic and, at first, like a typical workplace drama. But there's an underlying tension to every scene of Deepwater Horizon as moviegoers wonder exactly when disaster will strike. Besides Mike's home life and one quick glimpse of Andrea's boyfriend, nobody gets much personal development. Because the story's not about the people they'll return to, but about those they worked and survived (or died) with on the rig.
It's easy to turn corporations into bad guys, but Berg manages to do it without oversimplifying the situation. Malkovich, using a Louisiana drawl, glibly explains why BP needs the crew to drill -- and why the borderline safety test results are just good enough to ignore. Of course, it's the company men's profit-driven decisions that lead to the disaster, and the fact that they all survive may remind you of how the White Star execs all got on the lifeboats in Titanic. Berg is very talented at portraying disaster and exploring the heroism of those who show courage under fire, and he doesn't disappoint.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the scary, tense scenes in Deepwater Horizon. Do you consider them violent? What's the difference in impact between what you see in a movie like this and what you might see in a superhero or horror movie?
How do the characters demonstrate courage, perseverance, and integrity? Why are those important character strengths?
How close do you think the movie is to the real story? Why might filmmakers change the facts in movies based on real-life events? Does the movie make you interested in learning more about what happened?
Why do you think movies based on real tragic events are so compelling, even if audiences (theoretically) know how they end? How can fact-based movies maintain/encourage suspense? Does it matter if you know what's going to happen?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 30, 2016
- On DVD or streaming : January 10, 2017
- Cast : Mark Wahlberg , Kate Hudson , Dylan O'Brien
- Director : Peter Berg
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studios : Summit Entertainment , Lionsgate
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : History
- Character Strengths : Courage
- Run time : 97 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : prolonged intense disaster sequences and related disturbing images, and brief strong language
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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