The film eventually received a very warm welcome from both critics and viewers landing high-rated scores on Rotten Tomatoes.
Netflix is once again back on track bringing more of previous years’ gems to its viewers. The streaming has just dropped a legal thriller from 5 years ago starring Mark Ruffalo and Anne Hathaway in the leading roles, and those who enjoy compelling and thrilling stories coming from real events like in Spotlight should definitely add Netflix’s new addition to their watchlist.
Based on New York Times Magazine’s 2016 article titled The Lawyer Who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare, Dark Waters follows Robert Billot, a real-life figure and environmental lawyer, who starts a whole trial against the chemical manufacturing corporation DuPont.
After being asked to investigate an unexplained sequence of numerous animals’ deaths by farmer Wilbur Tennant, Billot connects the dots finding out that DuPont’s chemicals have been contaminating the...
Netflix is once again back on track bringing more of previous years’ gems to its viewers. The streaming has just dropped a legal thriller from 5 years ago starring Mark Ruffalo and Anne Hathaway in the leading roles, and those who enjoy compelling and thrilling stories coming from real events like in Spotlight should definitely add Netflix’s new addition to their watchlist.
Based on New York Times Magazine’s 2016 article titled The Lawyer Who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare, Dark Waters follows Robert Billot, a real-life figure and environmental lawyer, who starts a whole trial against the chemical manufacturing corporation DuPont.
After being asked to investigate an unexplained sequence of numerous animals’ deaths by farmer Wilbur Tennant, Billot connects the dots finding out that DuPont’s chemicals have been contaminating the...
- 5/9/2024
- by benjamin-patel@startefacts.com (Benjamin Patel)
- STartefacts.com
A corporate defence lawyer takes on an environmental lawsuit against a chemical company in this emotionally charged and decidedly understated drama from acclaimed director Todd Haynes.
Written by Mario Correa and Matthew Michael Carnahan, Dark Waters is based on a New York Times magazine article titled The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare by Nathaniel Rich.
Robert Bilott (Mark Ruffalo) is a respected corporate lawyer working with big chemical companies helping them pollute without breaking the law. When he is approached by West Virginia farmer Wilbur Tennant (Bill Camp) regarding a number of unexplained deaths on his farm which he blames DuPont – one of the world’s largest corporations – Robert is conflicted about representing Wilbur against his own interests.
Robert soon finds himself battling with his own conscience and deep catholic faith leading him to question the work he’s been doing until now. Against his better Judgement and that...
Written by Mario Correa and Matthew Michael Carnahan, Dark Waters is based on a New York Times magazine article titled The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare by Nathaniel Rich.
Robert Bilott (Mark Ruffalo) is a respected corporate lawyer working with big chemical companies helping them pollute without breaking the law. When he is approached by West Virginia farmer Wilbur Tennant (Bill Camp) regarding a number of unexplained deaths on his farm which he blames DuPont – one of the world’s largest corporations – Robert is conflicted about representing Wilbur against his own interests.
Robert soon finds himself battling with his own conscience and deep catholic faith leading him to question the work he’s been doing until now. Against his better Judgement and that...
- 2/28/2020
- by Linda Marric
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Don Kaye Dec 6, 2019
Mark Ruffalo took a break from Hulking out to play a real-life hero in the devastating Dark Waters. We discuss that, Scorsese, and more.
In Dark Waters, the searing new drama from director Todd Haynes (Carol), Mark Ruffalo plays real-life attorney Rob Bilott, a rising star at a large corporate law firm whose job has been defending chemical companies. But Bilott unexpectedly finds himself drawn to the case of Wilbur Tennant (Bill Camp), a Parkersburg, West Virginia farmer who comes to Bilott’s Cincinnati office to plead for help after 200 of his cows have died.
Tennant lays the blame at the feet of the DuPont plant that’s been in the town for decades. Having grown up nearby, Bilott has mixed feeling about taking the case. Yet he soon discovers that DuPont, the seemingly all-American company that has provided jobs and economic support for the area, has...
Mark Ruffalo took a break from Hulking out to play a real-life hero in the devastating Dark Waters. We discuss that, Scorsese, and more.
In Dark Waters, the searing new drama from director Todd Haynes (Carol), Mark Ruffalo plays real-life attorney Rob Bilott, a rising star at a large corporate law firm whose job has been defending chemical companies. But Bilott unexpectedly finds himself drawn to the case of Wilbur Tennant (Bill Camp), a Parkersburg, West Virginia farmer who comes to Bilott’s Cincinnati office to plead for help after 200 of his cows have died.
Tennant lays the blame at the feet of the DuPont plant that’s been in the town for decades. Having grown up nearby, Bilott has mixed feeling about taking the case. Yet he soon discovers that DuPont, the seemingly all-American company that has provided jobs and economic support for the area, has...
- 12/5/2019
- Den of Geek
Summer’s not the only season where heroes rule the multiplex. Well, that’s the main time for the fictional, larger than life heroes, the super spies, super cops, and, well, superheroes. But after Fall began the real-life heroes started to arrive, usually the subject of the big end of the year awards contenders. First to make her mark was Harriet Tubman in her inspiring biographical slice of history. Then there were the countless military men and women, from generals to sailors (and their wives) in Midway. As we near the major holidays, we’ve seen more recent heroes, like Dan Jones played by Adam Driver in The Report. Now comes a crusader from a profession generally derided and scorned by the public (especially in this weekend’s Marriage Story), a lawyer. Ah, but he’s got the spirit of an Avenger, apropos since he’s played by one of the original sextet.
- 11/26/2019
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Don Kaye Nov 22, 2019
Dark Waters director Todd Haynes explains why whistleblowers are more needed than ever.
This weekend brings us the release of Dark Waters, the eighth feature film directed by the Oscar-nominated Todd Haynes. In the film, Mark Ruffalo plays lawyer Rob Bilott, a rising star at a large corporate law firm whose portfolio is dominated by the chemical companies they defend. But Bilott unexpectedly finds himself drawn to the case of Wilbur Tennant (Bill Camp), a Parkersburg, West Virginia farmer who comes to Bilott’s Cincinnati office to plead for help.
Some 200 cows on Tennant’s property have died, their behavior erratic before their deaths, and their bodies riddled with hideous growths. Tennant lays the blame at the feet of the DuPont plant that’s been in the town for decades. Having grown up nearby, Bilott soon discovers that DuPont, the seemingly all-American company that has provided jobs...
Dark Waters director Todd Haynes explains why whistleblowers are more needed than ever.
This weekend brings us the release of Dark Waters, the eighth feature film directed by the Oscar-nominated Todd Haynes. In the film, Mark Ruffalo plays lawyer Rob Bilott, a rising star at a large corporate law firm whose portfolio is dominated by the chemical companies they defend. But Bilott unexpectedly finds himself drawn to the case of Wilbur Tennant (Bill Camp), a Parkersburg, West Virginia farmer who comes to Bilott’s Cincinnati office to plead for help.
Some 200 cows on Tennant’s property have died, their behavior erratic before their deaths, and their bodies riddled with hideous growths. Tennant lays the blame at the feet of the DuPont plant that’s been in the town for decades. Having grown up nearby, Bilott soon discovers that DuPont, the seemingly all-American company that has provided jobs...
- 11/22/2019
- Den of Geek
On the surface, it’s fair to wonder why an auteur like Todd Haynes took on this project. After all, legal dramas are compelling cinema, for sure, but hardly places for visual experimentation. One would think that something of this nature would be a waste of his talents. Well, Dark Waters makes for an interesting challenge of that. While Haynes’ filmmaking is an odd fit, this is easily his most accessible work, pairing him with Mark Ruffalo for a committed look at how hard it can be to do the right thing in the face of corporate giants. Hitting theaters today, it’s a late breaking Academy Award hopeful. The movie is a dramatic retelling of a real life crusade for justice. Inspired by that true story, it follows Robert Bilott (Ruffalo), a successful corporate defense attorney who finds himself driven to take the other side for once. A recent partner,...
- 11/22/2019
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
It seems odd at first that Todd Haynes, the artful creator of such classic queer cinema as Far From Heaven, Velvet Goldmine and Carol, would be drawn to such a just-the-facts legal barnburner like Dark Waters. But the filmmaker approaches the whistleblower genre, solidly repped by such films as Erin Brockovich and The Insider, and applies his usual keen eye for how injustice eats away at character. Plus he’s got Mark Ruffalo, an actor of seemingly limitless range — who else could board the Marvel train as the Hulk and...
- 11/22/2019
- by Peter Travers
- Rollingstone.com
Nearly a quarter-of-a-century ago, Todd Haynes released Safe, an impeccably crafted, startling drama in which Julianne Moore’s character is encumbered by “environmental illnesses” that she believes have debilitated her. Flash-forward to 2019 and the director is returning to a similar idea albeit on a much larger scale, in which 99% of the human population has been exposed to an environmental contaminant. And this time, it’s based entirely on a true story.
Dark Waters captures the extensive fight against chemical company DuPont headed up by corporate defense attorney Rob Billot (Mark Ruffalo). When the eco-thriller/drama was first announced, it perhaps looked strange in the hands of Haynes, who is known for his deeply felt, aesthetically vivid dramas, but he brings a distinct eye and a thematic richness to this story, one that exudes horror and outrage simmering under the surface.
“Todd Haynes understands that the justice system hardly ever works...
Dark Waters captures the extensive fight against chemical company DuPont headed up by corporate defense attorney Rob Billot (Mark Ruffalo). When the eco-thriller/drama was first announced, it perhaps looked strange in the hands of Haynes, who is known for his deeply felt, aesthetically vivid dramas, but he brings a distinct eye and a thematic richness to this story, one that exudes horror and outrage simmering under the surface.
“Todd Haynes understands that the justice system hardly ever works...
- 11/21/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
There’s something wrong with the land in West Virginia, and Mark Ruffalo is on the case. That’s the essence of “Dark Waters,” an urgent and respectable dramatization of corporate environmental defense attorney Rob Bilot’s saga as he takes on the Dupont corporation for dumping toxic waste. Directed by Todd Haynes as a slow-burn accumulation of speechifying and paranoid research, “Dark Waters” rambles through Bilot’s dreary detective work as he exposes an environmental hazard with the potential to impact the entire planet.
that drags at just over two hours, “Dark Waters” marks the most conventional directing effort in Haynes’ career. Nevertheless, the central concerns of Ruffalo’s passion project (he also produced) ensure a gravitas throughout that grounds the drama in profound concerns. Wearing a frozen scowl as he zips from damaged farmland to his ambivalent Cincinnati law firm, Ruffalo’s troubled protagonist stops just shy of...
that drags at just over two hours, “Dark Waters” marks the most conventional directing effort in Haynes’ career. Nevertheless, the central concerns of Ruffalo’s passion project (he also produced) ensure a gravitas throughout that grounds the drama in profound concerns. Wearing a frozen scowl as he zips from damaged farmland to his ambivalent Cincinnati law firm, Ruffalo’s troubled protagonist stops just shy of...
- 11/13/2019
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
What does a rabble-rousing, fight-the-power, ripped-from-the-headlines corporate-conspiracy whistleblower drama look like in the Trump era? It looks like Todd Haynes’ “Dark Waters” — which is to say, it looks very dark indeed. And also potent and gripping and necessary. The movie form I’m talking about is one we all know in our bones; you could say, at this point, that we know it a little too well. It was launched in the late ’60s and ’70s, with films like “Z” and “All the President’s Men” and “Norma Rae,” and it continued through the ’80s, with films like “Silkwood,” and the ’90s, with dramas like “The Insider.” Yet by 2000, the year that Steven Soderbergh released “Erin Brockovich,” a grand irony had set in. The genre, after 30 years, had become so mythic and familiar, so weirdly comfortable in its arcs and outlines (the discovery of political and corporate malfeasance! the brave...
- 11/13/2019
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Legal dramas lionize those who rise above the allure of cynicism and greed. Sometimes it’s the victims of grand social injustice or the lawyers who help ensure their chance at public retribution. Either way, in almost every case the ethics of heroism wins the day because justice finally becomes tangible.
Todd Haynes understands that the justice system hardly ever works in such cut and dry terms. Highfalutin jargon and endless procedural bureaucracy render the judicial process intimidating and isolating for the very citizens it’s supposed to help. With Dark Waters, the rare biopic that refuses to embrace climactic closure, he elides sentimental and rousing conventions one would associate with courtroom epics.
Instead, Haynes presents a decade-spanning marathon of civic awakening and endurance, one founded on endless hard work and sacrifice. Instead of depicting some disingenuous sprint toward good-natured epiphany, Dark Waters is all about the long game, surveying...
Todd Haynes understands that the justice system hardly ever works in such cut and dry terms. Highfalutin jargon and endless procedural bureaucracy render the judicial process intimidating and isolating for the very citizens it’s supposed to help. With Dark Waters, the rare biopic that refuses to embrace climactic closure, he elides sentimental and rousing conventions one would associate with courtroom epics.
Instead, Haynes presents a decade-spanning marathon of civic awakening and endurance, one founded on endless hard work and sacrifice. Instead of depicting some disingenuous sprint toward good-natured epiphany, Dark Waters is all about the long game, surveying...
- 11/13/2019
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
The list of modern conveniences that will sooner or later take a toll on your — or somebody’s — health gets a lot longer with “The Devil We Know.” Stephanie Soechtig’s documentary exposes the apparently decades-long efforts by the DuPont corporation to deny the adverse effects of chemicals used in the manufacture of Teflon kitchenware, which they knew about at least as early as 1982. They’re still denying them, even as birth defects and other problems have increasingly surfaced among factory workers and nearby residents whose water has become polluted with industrial waste.
This cogent, powerful indictment will most likely make its primary impact in small-screen exposure — though the Trumpian war on industrial and environmental regulation lends it a particularly urgent relevancy. The Sundance-premiered feature is slated for a broadcast debut on PBS’ “Pov” series later this year.
What we first see is rough old video footage shot by Wilbur Tennant,...
This cogent, powerful indictment will most likely make its primary impact in small-screen exposure — though the Trumpian war on industrial and environmental regulation lends it a particularly urgent relevancy. The Sundance-premiered feature is slated for a broadcast debut on PBS’ “Pov” series later this year.
What we first see is rough old video footage shot by Wilbur Tennant,...
- 4/12/2018
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
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