“Thirteen Lives,” the new film from Director Ron Howard on Amazon Prime, starring Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, Joel Edgerton and Sahajak Boonthanakit, is engaging, suspenseful and moving–and that’s an understatement. Based on true events of the 2018 Thailand Tham Luang cave rescue of 12 children from a Thai soccer team and their coach, Thirteen Lives is also a respectful film, giving a well-rounded picture of all involved, not simply deifying the outside team of cave divers who ride to the rescue. Moreover, this impressive endeavor champions the power of community, sacrifice and doing the right thing for its own sake—without once ever beating the audience over the head:
“In the true story of Thirteen Lives, 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.”
Offering a film review is certainly outside my wheelhouse, but given what’s going on in the world today, this powerful and touching film shares a message I think we could all use.
No doubt this film will stress you out, particularly if you’re not familiar with the events on which it is based, but I promise you it’s worth the journey. Don’t miss “Thirteen Lives”.
