Thirteen Lives - 💥💥💥💥

Director: Ron Howard 
Writers: Dan Macpherson and William Nicholson

Release Date: 29th July 2022    
Hot Rating:  💥💥💥💥

Synopsis: The story centres around the rescue of a group of young boys and their soccer coach who are trapped in a system of underground caves that are flooding in Thailand. The rescue efforts are led by the Thai Navy Seals, who work in partnership with a small team of British (Viggo Mortensen as Richard Stanton and Colin Farrell as John Volanthen) and Australian Divers (Joel Edgerton as Richard Harris). Based on a real-life incident that occurred in 2018. 

Review: Opting for an almost documentary-style realism, Thirteen Lives is a well-rounded retelling of a miracle. Hinged on the efforts of two British cave diving experts and their teamwork with the Thai navy SEALs, the rescue mission is parsed out into different locations, and surrounded by many different stakeholders. At the literal core of this story is the cave itself which the film does a solid job of portraying in all its dark, claustrophobic glory. In a film of tight margins and deadlines, it’s the underwater cinematography that really emphasises this urgency and distinguishes the film as more than just a documentary. However, there isn’t much artistic flair beyond this clear camerawork, and much of the non-cave scenes do roll with the competence that would be expected of a veteran director like Ron Howard and leads Farrell and Mortensen. Still, Thirteen Lives remains an engaging insight into an extraordinary mission. 

Image: YouTube