Todd Haynes steps outside of his wheelhouse with a well-intentioned, but messy piece of narrative journalism.
Robert Bilott (Mark Ruffalo), the protagonist of Todd Haynes’ latest film Dark Waters, isn’t the kind of guy who usually fights for the little guy. On the contrary, as a lawyer who typically represents chemical companies, he’s the fella who’ll bulldoze over the little guy to help salvage the reputation of a wealthy corporation. But in a twist of fate, one of his most prominent clients, DuPont (the company behind Teflon), becomes somebody he’s filing a lawsuit against on behalf of farmer Wilbur Tennant (Bill Camp). Tennant’s land and cattle have been poisoned by a nearby landfill put together by DuPont and that’s only the tip of the iceberg in terms of how DuPont has been throwing away the safety of human beings in the name of profits.
It’s been a while since we had a theatrical release like Dark Waters; this sort of political thriller (quite common as late as a decade ago with films like Breach and Michael Clayton), vanished once Hollywood pivoted away from mid-budget titles. Hopefully, Dark Waters is an indication such titles are making a comeback — and hopefully, future titles in this subgenre are a bit more consistent in quality. Though far from a bad movie, Haynes’ work works mostly as a message movie that fails to make truly engaging human beings out of its lead characters.
That issue falls largely on screenwriters Mario Correra and Matthew Michael Carnahan, who make a mistake common in many biopics: they confuse comprehensiveness with quality. Covering nearly twenty years in the lives of Bilott and company, and fitting in all of the real-life events along the way, leaves the characters vaguely defined as the story hurriedly moves from one year to the next. Critical events pass right by without any room to breathe and leave characters like Bilott’s partner Sarah (Anne Hathaway) severely underdeveloped, despite being portrayed by talented performers. Dark Waters takes place over an extensive span of time, but its exploration of its central characters is far more shallow.
On the other hand, at least the film’s prolonged coverage of time shows how the fight against mega-powerful corporations doesn’t happen in a day. This is actually one of Dark Waters‘ better attributes: this isn’t a film about grandiose victories, but rather people struggling to even speak against power, let alone take it down a peg. It’s a realistic portrayal of the long, hard fight against corrupt institutions, and Ruffalo’s performance is at its best when it’s informed by this aspect of the film. Ruffalo infuses Bilott with an ever-growing weariness, which drags him down as the years go by without significant progress.
The rest of the performances aren’t nearly as memorable, unfortunately. Hathaway has little to do in the role of Sarah while supporting actors Tim Robbins and Bill Pullman too often opt for shouting and affectation. Even the ever-reliable Camp ends up portraying Tennant as an over-the-top Southern caricature rather than as a human being. While Dark Waters script opts for subtly showing how draining fighting for the right cause can be, its performances have a bad habit of going for the loud and brash.
Dark Waters takes place over an extensive span of time, but its exploration of its central characters is far more shallow.
More consistently successful is Haynes’ direction — he’s an odd choice to helm this project given how divorced it is from staples of his filmography like the LGBTQIA+ community, rock n’ roll or 20th-century American malaise. Still, Haynes still delivers solid work behind the camera, and it’s especially interesting how thoughtfully he uses color grading. Some movies just use color grading to coat pointless light blue filter over shots, but Haynes picks specific colors to signify the varying moods of the environments Bilott walks into. His law office, for instance, is coated in a yellow tint, Terp’s farm is laced in a drained-out blue hue, his home is devoid of any color grading to reflect that this is a place of sanctuary isolated from the outside world.
Such a well-realized visual feature shows that Haynes’ filmmaking chops are still in fine form, even in a journeyman project like Dark Waters. But the movie itself could have used a more distinctly human touch.
Dark Waters sits you down for a lecture on corporate malfeasance November 22nd in limited release and goes wide December 6th.
Dark Waters Trailer:
Read next: The Spool's Best New Releases
Streaming guides
The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
The praises of live TV streaming services don’t need to be further sung. By now, we all know that compared to clunky, commitment-heavy cable, live TV is cheaper and much easier to manage. But just in case you’re still on the fence about jumping over to the other side, or if you’re just unhappy with ... The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
Season 3 of the hotly anticipated Power spin-off, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, is arriving on Starz soon, so you know what that means: it’s the ’90s again in The Southside, and we’re back with the Thomas family as they navigate the ins and outs of the criminal underworld they’re helping build. Mekai Curtis is ... How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Ladies and gentlemen, we’re so back! To celebrate Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary, the BBC is producing a three-episode special starring none other than the Tenth/Fourteenth Doctor himself, David Tennant. And to the supreme delight of fans (that would be me, dear reader), the Doctor will be joined by old-time companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and ... How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
For whatever reason, The Hunger Games series isn’t available in the same countries around the world. You’ll find the first and second (aka the best) installments in Hong Kong, for instance, but not the third and fourth. It’s a frustrating dilemma, especially if you don’t even have a single entry in your region, which is ... Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
How to watch Lost Cities Revealed with Albert Lin Season 2
After a years-long hiatus, scientist and explorer Albert Lin is coming back to National Geographic with a fresh new season of Lost Cities, renamed “Lost Cities Revealed.” In the past, Lin, who is probably the closest we’ll ever get to a real-life Indiana Jones, has traveled everywhere from the ancient Knights Templar in Israel to ... How to watch Lost Cities Revealed with Albert Lin Season 2
How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
To date, Paramount Network has only two original shows on air right now: Yellowstone and Bar Rescue. The network seems to have its hands full with on-demand streaming service Paramount+, which is constantly stacked with a fresh supply of new shows. But Yellowstone and Bar Rescue are so sturdy and expansive that the network doesn’t ... How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
Previously “Women’s Entertainment,” We TV has since rebranded to accurately reflect its name and be a more inclusive lifestyle channel. It’s home to addictive reality gems like Bold and Bougie, Bridezillas, Marriage Boot Camp, and The Untold Stories of Hip Hop. And when it’s not airing original titles, it has on syndicated shows like 9-1-1, ... How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
How to Watch FX With a Free Trial
You’d be hard-pressed to find a bad show airing on FX. The channel has made a name for itself as a bastion of high-brow TV, along with HBO and AMC. It’s produced shows like Atlanta, Fargo, The Americans, Archer, and more recently, Shogun. But because it’s owned by Disney, it still airs several blockbusters in ... How to Watch FX With a Free Trial
How to Watch A&E With A Free Trial
If you’re a fan of true crime and insider docu-shows like The First 48 and Court Cam, then you’re probably already familiar with A&E. The cable channel is home to other reality TV gems like Hoarders, Duck Dynasty, and Storage Wars (they’ve moved on to spin-offs like Road Wars, Customer Wars, and Prison Wars now). ... How to Watch A&E With A Free Trial
How to Watch Unimás With a Free Trial
As the sister channel of the much bigger Univision, Unimás is home to popular Spanish-language telenovelas and talk shows (yes, including El Gordo y La Flaca), as well as a couple of sports events and programs. Most notably, however, Unimás also operates a couple of station affiliates around the country, so it also reports local ... How to Watch Unimás With a Free Trial
How to Watch TNT With A Free Trial
For many sports fans, TNT is a non-negotiable. It broadcasts NBA, MLB, NHL, college basketball, and All Elite Wrestling matches. And, as a bonus, it also has reruns of shows like Supernatural, Charmed, and NCIS, as well as films like The Avengers, Dune, and Justice League. But while TNT used to be a cable staple, ... How to Watch TNT With A Free Trial