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Deepwater Horizon

Deepwater Horizon

When faced with our darkest hour, hope is not a tactic.

2016107 minPG-13Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Director
Peter Berg
Starring
Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, Gina Rodriguez

A story set on the offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, which exploded during April 2010 and created the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Deepwater Horizon?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Deepwater Horizon to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Deepwater Horizon?

Deepwater Horizon earns 10 badges, led by Top 10% in Action and Spectacle.

Show 2 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Deepwater Horizon worth watching?

Deepwater Horizon's Midcredits score is the 86th percentile of all films, from 376K ratings across 6 sources. 78% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

86th percentile

Better received than 86% of films

93rd percentile among Action86th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)81st
Approval (how many liked it)88th

71 /100

81st percentile of all films

91st percentile among Action81st percentile among 2010s

Critics 68 · Audience 71

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A tight consensus around 7.3 — people broadly agree on this one.

78% liked it

88th percentile of all films

92nd percentile among Action89th percentile among 2010s
78% rated it 7–1022% rated it 1–6

Critics 82% · Audience 82%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 2 Oscar noms · 4 wins / 16 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Sound Editing
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Visual Effects

98th percentile

376K ratings across platforms

97th percentile among Action98th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 35% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$110M
Opening weekend$20M
Domestic gross$61M
Worldwide gross$125M

Returned 1.1× its budget — 87th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film delivers an intense, technically impressive disaster spectacle anchored by a strong cast.

Fans praised

  • authentic depiction of disaster with gritty realism
  • strong performances from Kurt Russell and John Malkovich
  • spectacular practical effects and immersive set design

Detractors panned

  • overly patriotic heroics feel forced and clichéd
  • shallow character development beyond the main few
  • glosses over the broader ecological catastrophe

What stands out

Effects and spectacle85

top-notch practical and CGI destruction

ActingDivisive78

Wahlberg adequate, Russell and Malkovich steal scenes

TensionDivisive75

palpable suspense during build-up and aftermath

Emotional impactDivisive60

heroic rescue moments resonate but feel manipulative

PacingDivisive55

slow build then relentless second half

Plot and storyDivisive55

simple disaster arc, predictable beats

CharactersDivisive50

main few well-drawn, but crew largely two-dimensional

Originality35

conventional disaster movie formula

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 10 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 3 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 5 points apart
  • US vs non-US even

Watch experience

What is Deepwater Horizon like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you devastated. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseDreadThrilling
Heaviest: middle
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brutal · 7% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its disaster drama straight, treating the real events with gravity and respect, though it includes some sentimentality in family scenes.
The rideThe film builds dread in the first act, then sustains extreme tension and horror during the explosion and fire, with a slight release in the aftermath.
StructureThe film follows a conventional three-act structure: setup of the rig and characters, the blowout and survival, and the aftermath.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Devastated.

The answer rests on this: Devastating · 3% of filmsThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves viewers devastated by the loss of life and company negligence, while provoking thought about industrial safety and corporate accountability.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% (this title) · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Institutional injustice: A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).

21% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe film dramatizes the 2010 oil rig explosion as a consequence of corporate negligence overriding safety, fitting the overcoming_the_monster archetype with institutional_injustice subtype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% (this title) · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% (this title) · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

SurvivalGrief · 6% of filmsDuty · 2% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film focuses on the physical fight to stay alive during the explosion and fire, while also mourning the lives lost and the environmental devastation.
StanceThe film warns about corporate greed and safety failures, showing how decisions made above cost human life and damage the environment, focusing on the crew as a collective.

The world

Early 21st centuryIn transitInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Steve Jablonsky
Settingthe Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, April 2010
MusicJablonsky's score balances industrial tension with mournful strings, reflecting both the machinery and the human cost.

Content guide

Is Deepwater Horizon okay for kids?

PG-13

Deepwater Horizon is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for prolonged intense disaster sequences and related disturbing images” (MPAA). As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (71/100), sexual content at mild (28/100), language at intense (63/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (22/100) and frightening material at intense (78/100). Overall it is heavier than 97% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 26 other countries
  • UK12A
  • Canada14A
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceU
  • Ireland12
  • South Korea12
  • Brazil12
  • Belgium14
  • BGC
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-12
  • GreeceΚ-12
  • Hungary16
  • ItalyT
  • LTN-13
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway15
  • Poland12
  • PortugalM/12
  • RO15
  • Russia16+
  • Spain12
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland12
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 68% of all filmsHeavier than 97% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 93%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 48%
Profanity
Intense
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 93%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 20%
Frightening / Intense
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 95%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material, violence, and language. Everything else sits at or below what PG-13-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Deepwater Horizon have?

MovieCove's classifier found 2 depicted content warnings in Deepwater Horizon: Gore or body horror (moderate), Medical procedures (moderate). Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

ModerateGore or body horrorMedical procedures

Cast and crew

Who is in Deepwater Horizon?

Cast

4 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Mark Wahlberg
as Mike Williams
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kurt Russell
as Jimmy Harrell
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
John Malkovich
as Don Vidrine
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Gina Rodriguez
as Andrea Fleytas
newcomer then · star now
Dylan O'Brien
as Caleb Holloway
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Kate Hudson
as Felicia
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
JD Evermore
as Dewey A. Revette
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Ethan Suplee
as Jason Anderson
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Dave Maldonado
as Kuchta
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.
Henry Frost
as Shane M. Roshto
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Deepwater Horizon?

Movies like Deepwater Horizon include The Perfect Storm (2000), Lone Survivor (2013) and The Maze Runner (2014). Of the 12 closest matches, half are disaster stories, and several are films set on the road.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

7 of these 12 share its world: at sea. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Deepwater Horizon?

545 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: disaster survival. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.