Deepwater Horizon

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Deepwater Horizon

PG-13

2016

1h 47m

Mystery & Thriller

Action

Drama

Adventure

Biography

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

265 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, igniting a massive fireball that kills several crew members. Chief electronics technician Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg) and his colleagues find themselves fighting for survival as the heat and the flames become stifling and overwhelming. Banding together, the co-workers must use their wits to make it out alive amid all the chaos.

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Critics Consensus

Deepwater Horizon makes effective use of its titular man-made disaster to deliver an uncommonly serious -- yet still suitably gripping -- action thriller.

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K. Austin Collins

The Ringer

Aug 10, 2017

[Deepwater] knows what it is: not a memorial or a political indictment, but merely a movie.

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Jason Bailey

Flavorwire

Jan 17, 2017

Clumsy exposition aside, the dialogue feels authentic, tossing around the shorthand and lingo of the job, and the script is precise on the details without getting overwhelmed by them.

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David Sims

The Atlantic

Oct 30, 2016

Viewers will leave with a fine sense of how it felt to be on that blazing rig, but they'll still have plenty of questions about how and why things went so wrong.

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Joe Lipsett

Murder Made Fiction Podcast - Bloody Disgusting

Nov 20, 2025

3/5

Despite the star power, there are no characters here. Thankfully Peter Berg's capacity for shooting exciting action sequences is front and center and the night of the BP oil spill provides him with plenty of spectacle.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Apr 4, 2023

2.5/4

Berg’s idea of social commentary is to shove the American flag into the frame at every opportunity.

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

Aug 20, 2022

4/5

I’m an admitted disaster movie junkie, and many of them depend on some level of sensationalism. “Deepwater Horizon” keeps its focus on the 126 crew members aboard the rig on that horrible day.

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Jeremy P.

@Jezza_Linko Jul 11, 2026

One of the best movies based on the fact that BP cause billions of dollars an oil loss from an oil explosion on the deep water horizon

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donnie M

@RT64375194 Jul 6, 2026

great movie but the HORRIBLE FAKE ACCENT of John Malkovich made me shudder-kept having to mute when he talked

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Pedro Henrique C

@Pedro2005 Jun 15, 2026

Deepwater Horizon (2016) This movie is really well made; it's so fast-paced that you don't even realize it's ending. The story is really interesting and dynamic.

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CJ B.

@Cjbroccoli Jun 14, 2026

Compelling story but lacked emotional depth

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Russell H

@RT85733992 Jun 13, 2026

Grear pacing and solid cast. Decent as a disaster movie

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Jack S

@JackSV Jun 12, 2026

Tells the story so well

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Synopsis

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, igniting a massive fireball that kills several crew members. Chief electronics technician Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg) and his colleagues find themselves fighting for survival as the heat and the flames become stifling and overwhelming. Banding together, the co-workers must use their wits to make it out alive amid all the chaos.

Director: Peter Berg
Producer: Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian, Stephen Levinson, David Womark, Mark Wahlberg
Screenwriter: Matthew Michael Carnahan, Matthew Sand
Distributor: Lionsgate Films
Production Co: Leverage Entertainment, Participant Media, Di Bonaventura Pictures, Closest to the Hole, Warner Bros. Records, Lionsgate Television
Rating: PG-13 (Disturbing Images|Brief Strong Language|Intense Disaster Sequences)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Action, Drama, Adventure, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 30, 2016, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 22, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $61.4M
Runtime: 1h 47m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos, DTS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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