Dark Waters (2019) – 7/10

Dark Waters is a solid legal drama featuring an excellent performance from Mark Ruffalo. He plays a defense attorney who takes on a powerful corporation with immense influence, political connections, and financial resources.

Knowing that the film is based on a true story makes it especially disturbing. Learning what this corporation knowingly did to this community and many others is deeply unsettling. It also made me question the long-standing stereotype that West Virginia’s high rate of birth defects is primarily due to incest. After watching this film, it seems plausible that this narrative helped distract attention from the environmental contamination that was causing serious health issues, including birth defects.

The film is well acted and tells an important, eye-opening story. While the pacing is a bit slow at times, it’s still a worthwhile watch because of the real-world impact of the events it depicts.