Month: April 2022

How often do you think about the products that fill your home? Do you think about the elements, the chemicals that infuse your everyday household items? If you are like me, you probably only think about these things in passing, only for a moment until something, usually the next newest and greatest thing, catching your attention. Sit tight because Dark Waters will have you questioning everything.

Starring Mark Ruffalo as lawyer Robert Bilott, Dark Waters is the based-on-a-true-story legal thriller about one lawyer’s fight against big business. Bilott, who works for a firm that represents big chemical companies, gets pulled into a conversation with a farmer, Wilbur Tennant, who is convinced that the company that owns Dupont is poisoning his cattle with toxic run off. Once Bilott sees the evidence for himself he becomes deeply invested in the issue.

Bilott convinces Tennant to move forward with the case and subpoenas records from Dupont. What he receives is hundreds of boxes of poorly organized papers dating back thirty years. But within the chaos Bilott finds threads to support his worst suspicions – Dupont had been knowingly poisoning the public for decades. This launched Bilott into a 20 year battle against the chemical giant.

Directed by Todd Haynes, Dark Waters is based on the New York Times’ article “The Lawyer Who Became Dupont’s Worst Nightmare” by Nathaniel Rich. The story was reported in fits and starts while it was unfolding but when the news broke in 2016 in The Times the public, finally, took notice.

Dark Waters debuted to solid reviews and was nominated for several awards. But more than awards and accolades, when the movie hit the theatres Dupont’s stock, which was already faltering, took a noticeable hit. What’s more, the new DuPont parent company sued the former parent company citing a lack of appropriate financial reporting in light of the pending lawsuits.

Dark Waters is smart, engaging, terrifying and true – all the best things you’d want in a legal thriller. Take the time to catch this flick on Netflix now.

In 2013, Mike Banning saved the White House. In 2016 he saved London. In 2019 he has to save himself. This is Angel Has Fallen.

Gerard Butler is a favourite of mine. Opera adaptation, sappy chick flick or action/thriller, I am a fan no matter what but the Olympus Has Fallen trilogy is Butler perfection. In this, the third instalment, Butler’s Mike Banning has to figure out who is framing him before his time runs out.

Angel Has Fallen opens with a coordinated assassination attempt against the president. The entire detail is targeted and Banning is the only one to make it through unscathed. Banning is taken into custody but escapes to begin is hunt for the real threat to the president and to his own survival.

This offering in the series sees a return of Morgan Freeman, this time as President Allan Trumball, and the introduction of Nick Nolte as Clay Banning, Mike’s father. Other great casting includes Jada Pinkett-Smith as FBI agent Helen Thompson and Danny Huston as Mike’s former Ranger commanding officer, Wade Jennings.

Angel Has Fallen is the highest grossing film in the series thus far. While there are rumours of another installment, including a tentative name, Night Has Fallen, there is little other information available right now. All we know is the Butler is not only scheduled to reprise his role, he will also be filling a position of producer.

Olympus Has Fallen, London Has Fallen, and Angel Has Fallen are all now available on Netflix – a prefect combination for some serious weekend binging.