Film Review: "Thirteen Lives"

Adapting true life stories can always lead to mixed results in a theatrical film. It can also lead to serious criticisms when following a feature documentary based on real events. “Thirteen Lives,” tells the true rescue story of twelve boys in Thailand and their soccer coach trapped in a flooded and underground cave.  Last year’s documentary “The Rescue,” told the same story, which forced me to ask an important question. Why are we getting “Thirteen Lives” so soon after audiences were told the true story? Was it poor timing, or simply director Ron Howard wanting to put a narrative adaptation out as soon as he could? We may never know for sure, but it is hard to ignore the fact of this adaptation feels poorly timed.

What is undeniable is that Howard knows how to make very entertaining and occasionally substantive films. “Thirteen Lives” pays ample respect to the courageous men and community who saved these boys' lives. The strength of the film is how he shows communities working together. No matter the social, ethical, or political boundaries, we see a story uniting people for a common good. There is a real beauty in watching this sense of community and it remains consistently tense. The story's emotional resonance is thanks to the versatile cast.

Our leads Viggo Mortensen, Joel Edgerton, and Colin Farrell,  play the trio called to help with the rescue. Mortensen and Farell are experienced and passionate divers, while Edgerton is a seasoned anesthetist. They are all very good in the film, but the story never centers the focus on them. The real focus is on communities coming together to save thirteen lives. While there is no human enemy in the story,  the natural environment becomes a menace.  In essence, it is a story about our humanity in serious and dangerous situations. What is frustrating about that idea is we are being told this and not shown it.

The classic saying in filmmaking is to “Show, don't tell” the audience things they already know. The story spends quite a bit of time in the first act establishing the story and its tension. We know the outcome, but spend too much time watching the characters figure it out.  This is where the film hits a slog. Already knowing the outcome from news sources and  2018’s,  “The Rescue,” the story suffers from poor pacing. Particularly in its first hour, we’re given nothing more than conversations of characters weighing options. It is understandable why these scenes are present, but they do not serve to move the story forward.

There is certainly tension that is added by Howard, but the real success comes in the second act. Once our characters are established, we begin to see and feel the story's message.  “Thirteen Lives” is at its core, a story about humanity's unity in a desperate situation. Once the divers enact the rescue mission, that idea comes into full display. Each person is faced with tough and nearly impossible challenges, but the challenges are solved by working together. It was such a welcome story beat, which helped me become emotionally invested. Sometimes these moments feel manipulative but never take away from the story's heart. 

    “Thirteen Lives” succeeds in showing audiences a mostly authentic retelling of this story. The film's heart is in the right place with those involved but is not as effective as the documentary. This is certainly to no discredit to the cast, who exceed quite well with the tense moments. Howard delivers on the thrills of this tense situation, by heightening the tension throughout. The cave rescue process in the film is so visceral throughout.  While not as informative as the Documentary “The Rescue,” “Thirteen Lives” pays the story respect. Although we do not get to know the boys and the coach, we come to deeply admire the people who bring them home.  The film does not break new ground but encourages the audience to learn more about this story.  For something streaming on Prime video, it is important viewing that delivers an effective package at home.