Casting Mark Wahlberg as one of the heroes of the piece seems a no brainer as it’s a role he has played time and time again. To his credit this time his portrayal of a somewhat flawed character rings truer to real life than many of his previous roles. The story revolves around the domestic terrorist bombing that occurred during the 2013 running of the Boston Marathon and the events that followed as seen through the victims, authorities as well as the perpetrator’s eyes.

The film’s action sequences involving the ensuing manhunt and police shootout after the bombing play out like the wild machinations of a Hollywood writer on too much caffeine. It’s only after reading up on the actual circumstances that you learn of the extraordinary real events than took place. Even the perpetrators are give an extra edge by the normalcy of their everyday existence.

In stark contrast to many films of this ilk, Patriots Day carries quite the emotional impact. Even the overstated coda at the end is effecting. It was a horrible crime and one that brought out reserves of strength from both victims as well as those tasked with finding the criminals behind it. Having the heroics on display cover the gambit from small moral victories to large scale efforts give the film a surprising sense of emotional engagement.

Rob Hudson
www.patriotsdayfilm.com

Mark Wahlberg and Kurt Russell are the heroes of the piece as their salt of the earth characters rise to the occasion and help to prevent a more serious loss of life through selfless heroism. The action is suitably claustrophobic as the isolation of the out-to-sea oil platform plays into the disaster.

Berg’s decision to focus on the accident on the oil rig and reduce the ecological disaster that was cased by the oil leak to a small footnote at the end of the film robs the experience of some of its intensity. It was the worst oil spill in US history and the 4.9 million barrels of crude oil that leaked caused irreparable damage that is still felt to this day.

As an action film, Deepwater Horizon succeeds as Berg and his cast are very adept at this style of film. The experience could have been heightened though by the inclusion of the some of the real world aftermath of this huge disaster.

Rob Hudson
www.deepwaterhorizon.movie