Dark Waters: A Gripping And Eye-Opening Thriller
Director Todd Haynes (Wonderstruck, Carol) returns to cinemas this weekend with Dark Waters, a sleek and tightly drawn thriller. The film is an eye-opening true-life tale about the perils of living in the corporate age and one of the “little guys” who choose to fight their corruption and lies against all odds.
Inspired by a shocking true story, a tenacious corporate defense attorney (Mark Ruffalo) uncovers a dark secret that connects a growing number of unexplained deaths due to one of the world's largest corporations, DuPont. In the process, he risks everything — his future, his family, and his own life — to expose the truth.
We live in a time dominated by corporations, and we rely on them for goods and services to survive and live our lives comfortably. As consumers, we expect these companies to look out for and prioritize the health and safety of its customers above all else; however, we all know this isn’t always the case and that corporations, just like people, have the tendency to be greedy, selfish, and evil. There are certain products, like tobacco and alcohol, which come with a high level of known risk; however, other things, such as drinking water and pots and pans, are a different story entirely. It’s the latter that Dark Waters explores, and it unearths a massive web of corporate deceit whose everlasting effect impacts pretty much each and every one of us.
Based on the 2016 article "The Lawyer Who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare" by Nathaniel Rich (published in The New York Times Magazine), Dark Waters turns this straight-from-the-headlines true story into something pretty palpable and tense. Though it can certainly be faulted for being fairly conventional and paint by numbers, the film’s fascinating and important story, solid execution, and strong performances are enough to make it an engaging night out. Its didactic approach may be problematic to some, but it’s hard to dismiss the importance of the information it presents. If you were already distrusting of your corporate overlords, Dark Waters may have you tossing out your pots and pans and paranoid about the water coming out of your faucet.
One of the most effective qualities of the film is how it showcases the legal tedium of these kinds of matters. Bill Billot’s battle against DuPont over the hazardous chemical compound known as PFOA — a substance used in the production of nonstick coatings, such as Teflon — began back in 1998 and lasted nearly two decades, finally seeing a courtroom resolution in 2017. The film goes at length to show how Billot risked it all, sinking so many years of his life into this very important case and nearly losing his career and his family, which adds a layer of human drama to the film’s tense unraveling. The long and obstacle-heavy legal battle depicted in the film illuminates the audience on how difficult it can be to rage against a corporate machine when they are given far too much weight to throw around. Luckily, they’re not exempt, and sometimes they pay, too.
As stimulating as the film’s content is, the production is taken to another level thanks to its many fantastic performances. Mark Ruffalo, who also produced the film, gives an expectedly solid performance as Bill Billot. The role allows him to flex some of the range that the MCU just can’t provide, and his dedication to the project can be deeply felt. Bill Camp, Tim Robbins, Bill Pullman, and Anne Hathaway all give uniformly terrific supporting performances. Each get their opportunity to stand out and shine bright. There’s a lot of heart and compassion that seeps out of every performance, but film also boasts a surprising amount of humor, too, most of which is thanks to Haynes and the beats he and editor Affonso Gonçalves create.
Haynes makes the whole experience glide by with an undeniable seamlessness, and he fills the film with a lot of camera movement, stitching scenes together nicely by utilizing smooth panning motions. Along with cinematographer Edward Lachman (who shot several of his previous films), Haynes give the film a decent stylization filled with yellow and blue hues that is effective without being too flashy, keeping the focus squarely on the story and the performances. Lachman’s cinematography finds a nice tactile quality that is aided by the lighting and pieces of set design, like the slatted blinds that shelter many of the film’s conference rooms.
Despite being pretty Hollywood, there’s a resinous quality to Dark Waters that lingers after everything’s all said and done. It’s a film that starts discussions about a corporation’s obligations to its consumers and how we should hold them accountable for the harm they inflict, especially when they did it knowingly. It certainly doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it sure will open some eyes in an entertaining, semi-cathartic, somewhat frustrating but mostly satisfying way.
Recommendation: Entertaining and informative, this true-life thriller should definitely be given a watch.
Rating: 4 rounds of applause outta 5.
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!