Soon after their latest collaboration Lone Survivor, director Peter Berg and Star Mark Wahlberg team up for another real-life story, the depiction of the “well from hell” known as the BP oil rig disaster: Deepwater Horizon (B+). The film draws viewers in to meet a collection of sympathetic characters including protagonist Wahlberg, Kate Hudson as his supportive spouse and Kurt Russell as a plainspoken veteran of the industry. John Malkovich plays the sinister, serpentine Big Oil executive with relish. The film does a good job explaining the science and mechanics of drilling on the sea and depicting the political machinations behind making decisions, both brave and expedient, when the stakes are high. The effects are top-notch as the towering inferno reaches full-fledged disaster. Berg has found a mid-career specialty in these types of films; and this one is an unexpectedly thrilling entry into his true life adventure series. Wahlberg doesn’t really try an accent but is a sturdy, strong everyman in the role. We’ve seen a lot of this before, as high-paid folks ignore warning signs and innocent people suffer dire consequences, but this one is particularly timely in an age of pronounced corporate avarice. It’s missing a strong thematic point of view and nuance. Mostly, it’s got strong action and melodrama and delivers a powerful punch.