Netflix True Story Thriller Reveals Horror More Shocking Than Fiction
For those out there who love a good movie that pulls its tale from a true story, Netflix has plenty of terrific options like Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, Dumb Money, and The Good Nurse but if you haven’t yet checked out Todd Haynes’ thriller Dark Waters, you better toss it in your queue lest you miss out. The star-studded feature will have your jaw on the floor multiple times proving that often, truth is stranger than fiction.
The Story
With the help of a star-studded cast, the Academy Award-nominated filmmaker masterfully told the story of Robert Bilott’s real-life battle with the chemical manufacturing company DuPont.
In Dark Waters, audiences learn that the corporation was knowingly contaminating a town in West Virginia with unregulated chemicals, something that corporate defense attorney Robert Bilott – played in the film by Mark Ruffalo – puts his own life on the line to halt.
The Cast
But Mark Ruffalo isn’t the only big name to appear in Dark Waters as the film also stars a handful of other recognizable faces including Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada), William Jackson Harper (The Good Place), Tim Robbins (The Shawshank Redemption), and more.
The movie itself was pulled from the pages of a New York Times Magazine article from 2016 penned by Nathaniel Rich and titled “The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare.”
Critical Success
Distributed by Focus Features, Dark Waters swam into cinemas everywhere on December 6, 2019. The movie grossed $23 million and was largely welcomed by critics who cited the story, performances of the main cast, and Haynes’ direction as a winning combination for a captivating story about the dangers of corruption and waste.
Currently, the title sits on Rotten Tomatoes with a solid bragging rights worth rating of 89 percent, making more than 200 critics happy with their decision to tune in for the legal thriller.
Putting DuPont On Blast
Not only did Dark Waters earn the attention and praise of the fans and critics of cinema but it also got the public talking and put DuPont back in the spotlight.
Because of this, the company’s stock price dropped several points following the film’s initial release and led to more scrutiny from outside eyes.
When it came to that year’s award circuit, Dark Waters was the name on the tip of everyone’s tongue but would be the title that many thought was snubbed from landing nods from the Oscars and the Golden Globes.
It would, however, gain recognition at the Satellite Awards, the Cinema For Peace Awards, the César Awards, and others.
Stream It Now
As a director, Todd Haynes has always been one to step outside the lines of being boxed in by one specific genre with Dark Waters being something completely different than what he’d done before.
Audiences may recognize Haynes’ name for his work behind projects like Velvet Goldmine, I’m Not There, or Carol. If Dark Waters is the first movie of his that you see and you like the style, the director also recently teamed up with Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, and Charles Melton in May December which is also available to stream on Netflix.
