On Hostile Ground

Geologist Matt Andrews is assigned to explain the cause of two large sinkholes threatening New Orleans. He travels to the sites with his team to collect data and assess structural risks. The findings set the high-stakes context for the city’s response.

Allison Beauchamp, the mayor’s assistant, weighs public safety against economic impact and political optics. She must decide whether to cancel or proceed with Mardi Gras. Her choice will determine the immediate level of risk for thousands of revelers and workers.

Matt carries guilt from a mining disaster that happened while he was advising on its operations. He has not fully absolved himself, which fuels a cautious, sometimes anxious approach to the sinkhole crisis. The personal burden complicates his professional judgment under pressure.

Early assessments show no obvious immediate danger, yet critical data has been compromised or destroyed by political interference. Experts worry that unseen weaknesses could suddenly worsen the crisis. The lack of conclusive proof makes urgent decisions precarious.

Against the most alarming readings, Allison decides not to close Mardi Gras. The festival continues, hoping to safeguard morale and the economy while risks remain overlooked. As the crowds swell, the situation grows more volatile beneath the city.

Engineers propose a drastic containment method: inject several tons of two polyurethane compounds that react to form an expanding foam. The foam would fill the sinkhole cavern and solidify, effectively stabilizing the ground beneath downtown. The plan hinges on a precise, time-sensitive execution.

The reaction creates foam that can expand hundreds of times its size and eventually harden like concrete. The two components must mix correctly to avoid premature setting or dangerous pressure. If anything goes wrong, the very ground above could fail catastrophically.

During the inspection, Matt is partially trapped inside the caverns. He recognizes that starting the foam could trap him if he cannot escape. He becomes part of the high-stakes countdown as responders race to implement the plan.

The team warns that delaying the foam risks a ground collapse beneath downtown and thousands of casualties. The clock is ticking as engineers debate safety versus speed. Matt’s safety becomes inseparable from the city’s survival.

The foam flow starts, and the cavern is rapidly filled with expanding material. Matt watches as his escape route narrows, turning the situation into a life-or-death chase. Every second counts as the foam closes in around the working area.

Matt crawls and crawls, searching for a safe exit while the polyurethane foam advances toward him. The environment becomes a claustrophobic maze of expanding foam and collapsing rock. The audience rides the edge of whether he will survive the retreat.

The film ends by pointing to a future five years after its release, arguing that sinkholes could be as deadly as levee failures. Matt notes that a Katrina-scale disaster could occur if such underground issues are not addressed. The message links geologic hazards to urban vulnerability in a post-Katrina context.