Todd Haynes remains an acclaimed figure within the arthouse film community for his powerful romantic and sociological dramedies. Between the intimate romance of his period drama Carol to the scandalous melodrama of his dark comedy May December, Haynes has succeeded in crafting highly personal character studies that feel like slices of life. He’s also set to finally begin work on De Noche, a film that suffered setbacks when Joaquin Phoenix left shortly before filming and has since added Pedro Pascal in his wake. Haynes is inarguably one of the most important filmmakers of his generation, but he’s not necessarily someone who is associated with genre thrillers. However, Haynes showed a completely different side of his storytelling skills with the psychological thriller Dark Waters.

Drawing from a recent real-life event of a public health crisis, Haynes crafted a powerful and timely thriller that speaks to the horrors of corporate greed. The specificity in crafting period pieces that he perfected within his romantic dramas ended up giving him the experience needed to make an eerie parallel to recent events. Dark Waters is a film about a lurking danger that has been covered up by the powers that be. While it is by no means an easy film to watch, Dark Waters is a powerful true crime thriller with excellent performances by Mark Ruffalo and Anne Hathaway.

What Is ‘Dark Waters’ About?

Set in 1998, Dark Waters examines the revelation of the DuPont scandal, which revealed that one of the nation’s most powerful chemical manufacturing corporations was responsible for polluting the environment. Rather than beginning with the crisis’ origins, the film is told from the perspective of the corporate defense lawyer Robert Bilott (Ruffalo), whose expertise is in business malpractice and legal minutiae. While he knows very little about criminal law and would not normally take on a case involving environmental damage, Bilott agrees to look into a series of unexplained animal deaths in Parkersburg, West Virginia, at the behest of farmer Wilbur Tennant (Bill Camp). A series of investigations leads him to discover that the chemicals being dumped in the area are unregulated by the EPA, which would point to a larger conspiracy linked to a corporation capable of covering up its crimes.

While the evidence that Bilott uncovers is horrifying, Haynes treats the dissemination of information like a procedural thriller. It becomes compelling based on how new information changes Bilott’s mind. Initially, he disregards the complaints that the locals have, believing their animosity to be nothing but a half-hearted way of justifying their misfortune. However, the steady revelation of evidence leads Bilott to slowly become more invested in the case. It becomes evident that the generations of pollution committed by DuPont go beyond corporate indifference, as there appears to be a malicious intention behind their targeting of rural communities. Haynes does a great job of showing why the farmers of Parkersburg are particularly vulnerable to these issues. Without a champion like Bilott on their side, the community would not have the resources to raise awareness about what is happening.

‘Dark Waters’ Is an Inventive Psychological Thriller

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Much of Dark Waters takes place in boardrooms and corporate offices as Bilott conducts research and analyzes years of testimonies, video evidence, and contracts. While this level of specificity on the legal front could have made for a dull narrative, Haynes incorporates an aspect of psychological dread based on Bilott’s race against time. As he begins to understand that pollution has a devastating impact on the human body, Bilott realizes that the lives of the people he has been representing hang in the balance. This shifts the stakes of the film from economic to personal, with Bilott transforming into a more selfless character based on the years he has spent dedicated to the case. It’s implied that by fighting on their behalf, Bilott has been accepted by the community of Parkersburg.

As inspiring as Bilott’s journey is, Dark Waters is both infuriating and timely in its deconstruction of DuPont’s practices. Haynes brilliantly shows how antiquated legal policies have led DuPont to shift the blame for the pollution to different parties, leading to an endless chase to find the real culprit. Revelations about the extent of the cover-up made by Bilott inspire powerful moments of righteous anger. On a narrative level, this works in making Ruffalo’s excellent performance even more compelling. Additionally, it may inspire viewers to take a deeper look at the real case that the film is based on.

Todd Haynes Made ‘Dark Waters’ At the Right Time

The DuPont scandal underscores broader issues regarding corporate accountability, regulatory oversight, and the prioritization of profit over public health and environmental protection. It’s a cautionary tale that reflects systemic failures and highlights the challenges in addressing environmental injustices, particularly in communities disproportionately affected by pollution. Todd Haynes recognized that the relevance of environmental issues in society fueled the creation of Dark Waters. In an interview with Collider, Haynes opened up about the timeliness of his project:

“Sometimes there’s a sort of a zeitgeist that almost beckons projects to come to the fore at the time they do. There’s something in the air that makes them necessary to happen when they happen. And I do feel like just the environmental issues our country is confronting…and the ways that our regulatory system has so catered to the needs of industry; how much money and big business have dominated our economy. These are all things that make this an incredibly relevant story to tell.”

The success of Dark Waters serves as a compelling testament to Haynes’ timeliness on the project. However, it also underscores the persistent lackluster response from society towards environmental concerns. The film ultimately turns a critical eye on corporate malfeasance, but packages it in the form of a star-studded thriller.

Mark Ruffalo and Anne Hathaway Elevate ‘Dark Waters’

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In one of his most underrated performances, Ruffalo combines the professionalism and passion that make Bilott a compelling character. While he does not initially characterize Bilott as haughty or arrogant, he suggests that the character is rather indifferent about the clients he represents, as they really only serve to benefit him economically. However, Ruffalo does a great job of showing how draining the case is for Bilott on a personal level. He’s been taught to be obsessive about discovering evidence, which becomes unhealthy when he applies it to all aspects of his life. The dignity and earnestness that Ruffalo brings to the role is the perfect tribute to a real-life hero.

While it’s not a hugely substantial role, Hathaway gives an impactful performance that transcends the typical “wife” part. Bilott’s wife Sarah is not only critical in reminding the viewer of their humble origins, but essential in caring for him when he puts himself in physical danger. As the case reaches its inflection point, Bilott collapses from overworking himself, forcing Sarah to come to his aid. Hathaway’s heartbroken explanation of her husband’s efforts in a hospital room is among the film’s most heartbreaking moments.

A real story as critical as the DuPont scandal deserves attention, but Dark Waters is more than a standard “issues” movie. It’s a fully fleshed-out psychological thriller that speaks to the horrors of powers being unmonitored. Thanks to the prestigious direction by Haynes and emotionally authentic performances, Dark Waters is a powerful indictment of corruption that highlights a critical ongoing subject.

What Happened to DuPont After the Events of ‘Dark Waters’?

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Dark Waters ends with Bilott winning three successive cases against DuPont, leading the manufacturing company to settle an additional 3,500 cases for $671 million. However, DuPont continued to face economic setbacks during the release of Dark Waters. After an all-stock merger with the Dow Chemical Company in 2015, DuPont spun off into its own company in 2015. The company’s stock continued to plummet in the aftermath of Bilott’s revelations about the use of “forever chemicals” and in 2022, the state of California sued the company for its role in manufacturing airborne pollutants after multi-year investigations were conducted.

DuPont executives may have objected to their characterization in Dark Waters, but the real Bilott continues to be at the forefront of environmental activism. In addition to taking part in promotional events for the film alongside Ruffalo, Billott received a degree as an Honorary Doctor of Science from The Ohio State University’s Environmental Science Graduate Program for his continued efforts to raise awareness about corporate pollution.

What Did Todd Haynes Add to ‘Dark Waters’?

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Todd Haynes was an interesting choice to direct Dark Waters, as it seems somewhat surprising that the director behind elaborate melodrama like Carol and Velvet Goldmine would be interested in a straightforward biographical drama about a criminal and corporate investigation. Although it easily could have felt like a “hired hand” job in which Haynes was simply hired to work on a studio project that he had little passion for, Dark Waters benefits from the meticulous direction of a filmmaker well-aware of the place and era he is capturing.

One of the most compelling aspects of Haynes’ style is his ability to capture the mood of a certain period. In the same way that he encapsulated the buzzy holiday vibes of Christmas in the 1950s with Carol, Haynes examined the pressing tension of corporate America at the tail end of the 20th century. The attention-to-detail needed to examine the recent past is immense, as many viewers watching the film may have remembered the events as they occurred. Thankfully, Haynes was able to recreate key events in a manner that felt legitimate.

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Dark Waters is a very personal story about the interiority of a family, as Bilott’s character is an interesting one. A lesser filmmaker would have painted Bilott as an uncompromising hero with no faults, but Haynes did not go out of his way to lionize him; it is made evident that Bilott is rather indifferent to the situation with DuPont at the beginning of the film, and only gradually becomes more motivated in making a difference once he begins to learn about the devastating environmental impact that the corruption has caused. There is always a risk that a film like Dark Waters could feel more like a work of activism than a legitimate story, but Haynes is able to thread the needle between making the story both entertaining and informative. Even though it does give a tremendous amount of insight on a situation that many viewers may not have been aware of, the film still functions as a tightly paced thriller with a good deal of urgency.

Haynes captures a sense of righteous anger within Dark Waters as he examines the larger scope of the scandal, and why it is still relevant to the events of today. Although the actions that DuPont took to avoid taking responsibility for its role in the crisis are both shocking and despicable, Dark Waters examines that this is a result of the larger culture of indifference within American capitalism. Major corporations don’t treat their employees and clients as human beings, and are even willing to risk human life to make minimal financial gains. The DuPont incident is simply one example of what can go awry when there is no oversight; although it was a case that claimed countless lives and irrevocably damaged the environment, it is sadly not an anomaly as the climate crisis grows more extreme with each passing year. Dark Waters is not a horror film, but that does not mean that it isn’t terrifying.

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Dark Waters

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Release Date

November 22, 2019

Runtime

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126 minutes

Writers

Matthew Michael Carnahan, Mario Correa, Nathaniel Rich

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