DARK WATERS REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Dark Waters is probably one of the most thought provoking dramas to have been released recently. Judging by the posters and its trailers, Dark Waters does look like your average drama that features a few good performances but not much else to leave much of a lasting impression. However, Dark Waters is one of this year's must see dramas as it sends out an important message that effects everyone, not just the people sitting watching in the cinema.

Inspired by a shocking true story, a tenacious attorney, Robert Bilott (Mark Ruffalo), uncovers a dark secret that connects a growing number of unexplained deaths due to one of the world's largest corporations. In the process, he risks everything - his future, his family, and his own life - to expose the truth.

Dark Waters is an effective drama that sends out an important message and powerfully relays a real life tale of infuriating malfeasance whilst honouring the victims and laying the blame squarely at the feet of the perpetrators. When watching Dark Waters, I thought that the result of the DuPont chemical company only effected those in the United States, however, the film makes a shocking revelation that everyone is effected and 99% of all humans have poisonous chemicals in our blood without realising it. Bilott makes the discovery that DuPont is using a chemical known as PFOA-C8 to manufacture Teflon products which are sold in most countries, including the US and the United Kingdom. Teflon are known for their cooking products, such as frying pans. Secretly, DuPont has been running tests of the effect of the chemical for decades, including on animals and their own employees, including pregnant women, without their knowledge. Their studies show that it caused cancer in animals, people and lead to babies being born with defects. DuPont kept this a secret and dumped hundreds of gallons of toxic sludge upriver from a farm. This leads to a farmer getting in touch with Bilott following the death of almost 200 of his cows after they drunk the poisonous water. While most films are created to entertain, other films are created to send a message to a wide audience. This is why Dark Waters has been made with Ruffalo starring as Bilott as, due to his appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise as Bruce Banner/Hulk, he has gained a large fanbase who are sure to see this film just for him, however, they may leave the cinema thinking about the shocking revelation the film sends out. This shocking revelation is hard to believe, however, there's enough evidence shown in Dark Waters to prove Bilott's theory. His discovery leads to a two decade long battle against DuPont Dark Powers succeeds at being a compelling and thought provoking drama for the majority of its 126 minute runtime. 

The standout aspect of Dark Waters is definitely Ruffalo's powerful portrayal of Bilott. Since the release of Avengers: Endgame last year, it's been interesting watching each actors' career choices post-Endgame. Unfortunately, Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Hemsworth haven't been as successful, with Downey Jr. recently making his appearance in Dolittle,  which received negative reviews from critics and failed to make much money at the box office. Hemsworth suffered a similar fate last year with Men in Black: International. Of the main cast, Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans have all made successful appearances in other films, with Johansson receiving two Academy Award nominations for her performances in Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit, Evans delivering an amusing performance in the comedy, Knives Out, and Ruffalo returning to the big screen in Dark Waters. Not only does he impress with his portrayal of Bilott, he co-produced the film which shows how much he cares about it getting made, which isn't really surprising as the actor is an environmentalist. Anne Hathaway and Tim Robbins deliver strong supporting roles as Bilott's wife, Sarah, and his boss, Tom Terp. 

Dark Waters is directed by Todd Haynes who is best known for directing Carol and Far From Heaven. Because the film features a story that sends out an important message, it needed an experienced director in order to bring the drama to life and Haynes proves to be the best choice. It would've been easy to create a boring drama full of cliches, however, Haynes understands that, in order to get the message sent out effectively, he has to create an original film that is both compelling and thought provoking. And with Dark Waters, he has succeeded. 

Dark Waters isn't without its flaws. It takes a while to set up the story and, because it's covering almost two decades worth of important events, it did feel rushed at times. However, those are minor flaws and can be easily overlooked when compared to its thought provoking story and powerful lead performance by Mark Ruffalo.

8/10