Thirteen Lives

Colin Farrell and Viggo Mortensen in Thirteen Lives

It’s pretty impressive that a two and a half hour movie about an event I know the outcome of can hold my attention these days. (Or anything over two hours honestly.) But Thirteen Lives managed to do just that.

Thirteen Lives is Ron Howard’s new movie about the rescue of the Thai boys soccer team that got stuck in a flooded cave.

Thai Soccer team in Thirteen Lives

It also reinforced my claustrophobia that I still can’t even watch people stuck in small spaces in film. Ugh.

I could never.

Never.

These divers deserve medals.

cave map in Thirteen Lives

As do the thousands of rescuers and support over the nearly twenty days long time period. Not to mention the people who gave up their crops and those who tried to do the impossible and dam the mountain.

To be honest about my finding it super compelling… I knew the outcome but really none of the details. Heck I couldn’t even remember how they got them out. So if you are more familiar with the event than I am maybe you won’t be as into Thirteen Lives. Or maybe you can nitpick what got changed and what didn’t.

Overall I think Thirteen Lives is well-acted by a cast including Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell and Joel Edgerton.

Joel Edgerton in Thirteen Lives

Superficial aside even here they can’t help but look attractive. (Of all the Rings of Power stuff going around I can’t help but think I miss Viggo every time I see a trailer. They all just look so clean and unscruffy that it doesn’t feel like Middle Earth without him.)

But I digress.

The film is also well shot, brings good tension and despite the run time I think keeps it moving and doesn’t waste anything.

trapped Thai soccer players in Thirteen Lives

So overall Thirteen Lives (currently on Amazon Prime) is worth a watch. Especially in a really movie filled weekend!

Recommend: Yes.


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