Dark Waters 2019

Movie · 126 min · English · November 12, 2019

Historical Legal thriller Mystery thriller

Directed by Todd HaynesWritten by Mario Correa, Matthew Michael Carnahan

Starring Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, Bill Camp, Victor Garber

A 2019 American legal thriller film, Dark Waters was directed by Todd Haynes and written by Mario Correa and Matthew Michael Carnahan. It portrays the story of Robert Bilott's legal fight against DuPont following chemical contamination in a town. Mark Ruffalo plays the role of Bilott, with Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, Bill Camp, Victor Garber, Mare Winningham, William Jackson Harper, and Bill Pullman appearing in supporting roles.

Based on a 2016 New York Times Magazine article titled "The Lawyer Who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare" by Nathaniel Rich, the film draws from earlier reporting. The investigation and case were initially detailed in Callie Lyons’ book Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal: The Hidden Dangers of C8 (2007), a Mid-Ohio Valley journalist who covered the issue during its development. Additional elements of the pollution and coverup were reported by Mariah Blake in her 2015 article "Welcome to Beautiful Parkersburg, West Virginia," which was a National Magazine Award finalist, and Sharon Lerner’s series "Bad Chemistry" published in The Intercept. Bilott authored his own memoir, Exposure (2019), recounting his 20-year struggle with DuPont.

Dark Waters had a limited release on November 22, 2019 by Focus Features, followed by a wider release on December 6. Critics responded positively to the film, and it earned $23 million at the box office.