Dark Waters

In Dark Waters, Mark Ruffalo takes a well-earned break from playing Hulk in the MCU to portray Robert Bilott, a real-life Cincinnati lawyer who tirelessly battled multinational chemical firm DuPont on behalf of more than 3500 residents of Parkersburg, West Virginia.

We’re introduced to Bilott in 1998 when farmer Wilbur Tennant (a tremendously gruff Bill Camp) dumps videos of his deformed cattle in Bilott’s office. Deformities and sickness affecting both cows and humans have seemingly arisen because DuPont have buried drums of highly hazardous chemical POFA (perfluorooctanoic acid) next to Tennant’s land. A dour, hunched figure somewhat akin to an even less charismatic Gordon Brown, Ruffalo’s portrayal of Bilott doesn’t scream legal dynamism. But in time-honoured cinematic fashion, Bilott ploughs through into a mountain of dusty paperwork and, in 2001, files a lawsuit against DuPont. The lawsuit’s progress over nearly two decades is painstakingly and expertly detailed.

While thematic comparisons can be made to the livelier Erin Brockovich, Dark Waters has more in common with Kelly Reichardt’s Night Moves, which director Todd Haynes exec produced and shares a similarly cold, tense tone. Haynes’ regular cinematographer Edward Lachman does wonders with a muted colour pallete (he also shot Brockovich), while there’s solid support from Tim Robbins, and Anne Hathaway as Bilott’s wife Sarah.

After his dual-timeline period mystery Wonderstruck proved a rare misfire, Haynes has returned with a timely tale of environmental disaster and corporate corruption. The resulting drama may not be as remarkable as his masterpiece Carol, but it represents a clear return to form for the American indie auteur. 

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Released 28 Feb by Entertainment One; certificate 15