Today, Prime Video releases one of the most anticipated films of the year in the form of Thirteen Lives.
Thirteen Lives tells the true story that gripped the world of how 12 Tai boys and their football coach were rescued from caves in northern Thailand in July 2018.
When the film begins, the Wild Boars Junior Football Team have finished practice in Thailand ahead of a birthday party for Chai (Aom-Sin Pasakorn). The boys and their coach decide to go explore the Tham Luang Cave, unaware of the dangers of monsoon season. In no time at all, the rising water traps them in the cave with no way to escape.
Governor Narongsak (Sahajak Boonthanakit) springs into action, but things aren’t going to be easy. Expat Vernon Unsworth (Lewis Fitz-Gerald) recommends experienced divers John Volanthen (Viggo Mortensen) and Rick Stanton (Colin Farrell) to assist but they soon find themselves dealing with a country concerned about the risks.
It takes a whole team effort, a nearby village, and the skills of Richard Harris (Joel Edgerton) to rescue the thirteen lives trapped in the cave, a story that had the world on the edge of their seats for 18 days.
Directed by Ron Howard, Thirteen Lives sees the director return to dramatic interpretations of real-life events and it shows onscreen with a tense watch, even though we know the outcome already. This gives screenwriters William Nicholson who conceived the story with Don Macpherson a chance to let the drama come from the situation, rather than having to embellish the story by adding fresh drama.
The cast is a sublime bunch, with all of them giving pitch-perfect performances.
The film takes viewers beneath the surface of the story they think they know to reveal how razor-thin the margin between success and failure was.
Thirteen Lives is a film not to be missed.
4.5 Stars
Thirteen Lives is now available on Prime Video.
