2022 Movie
Dir. Ron Howard · United Kingdom, United States of America · English, Thai
The shocking true story of how the world came together to save a trapped soccer team is sensitively dramatized in this Ron Howard picture
Thirteen Lives is a taut, no-nonsense film that smartly forgoes dramatizing an already well-known case and, instead, hones in on the excruciating but impressive ordeal that is rescue diving. The divers are played by Viggo Mortensen and Colin Farrell, both of whom are convincing in their expertise and heroism. But this isn’t to say this story is theirs. Howard does well to center the narrative on the locals and even makes use of their language, Thai, for most of the film’s run. It’s as sensitively told as it is genuinely gripping.
Based on the true nail-biting mission that captivated the world. Twelve boys and the coach of a Thai soccer team explore the Tham Luang cave when an unexpected rainstorm traps them in a chamber inside the mountain. Entombed behind a maze of flooded cave tunnels, they face impossible odds. A team of world-class divers navigate through miles of dangerous cave networks to discover that finding the boys is only the beginning.
"The story it tells is incredible enough to survive any deficiencies in the telling, and Howard is far too competent a filmmaker to interfere with its basic power. Still, Thirteen Lives often seems engrossing in spite of itself."
— David Ehrlich
Directed by Ron Howard (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind), Thirteen Lives follows the scary events of the Tham Luang Cave rescue.
The firm direction, as expected from Howard.
I still think the Rescue documentary is a more worthwhile watch, but this is beautifully performed nonetheless.
Renee Cuisia is the lead curator at A Good Movie to Watch. In her spare time, she likes to watch K-dramas and analyze them to death. She's also seen You've Got Mail one too many times but is still convinced it's one of the greatest films out there.
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