Thirteen Lives
Thirteen Lives
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.
Kevin Ward reviewedJuly 7, 2025
Apollo Thirteen Lives
A dramatic retelling of the already dramatic 2018 rescue of 12 Thai boys and their soccer coach trapped deep inside a flooded cave. Very similar to Apollo 13, it’s a story that captured the hearts and attention of the entire world and took a monumental effort of many to ensure the safe return of just a few.
Ron Howard has been one of my favorite directors. His early films were particularly influential in shaping my love of film. I still remember the awe I felt walking out of Willow as a young boy; and Apollo 13 is one of my favorite films of all time. I haven’t loved much of his filmography of the last 15 years or so, but Thirteen Lives is a gripping and emotional feature film. It’s a story that needs scarce little additional dramatization. The amazing true story is harrowing enough, but it’s depicted really admirably here with some impressive underwater camera work.
Viggo Mortensen and Colin Farrell are effective as Richard Stanton and John Volanthen, two expert cave divers brought in from the UK to assist in the rescue. But I think Joel Edgerton gave my favorite performance of the bunch as the Australian cave diver with a particular set of skills. I’ve seen the documentary feature The Rescue semi-recently, and I think both are actually well worth watching.