Written by Cole Mihalich. Photo by Getty Images.
“Thirteen Lives” is a dramatization of the 2018 events at Tham Luang, where thirteen people were trapped deep in one of Thailand’s largest cave systems after early monsoon flooding. Howard, the critically acclaimed director, accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award later in the evening.
The film takes us from the fog-shrouded mountains of Thailand down to the ultra-claustrophobic depths of the Tham Luang Nang Non with startling efficiency. This is due in part to seasoned Thai cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom. His punchy yet realistic style lines up perfectly with Ron Howard’s vision and direction. The sound design is incredible. While the camera follows a diver swimming through the cold cave, you can hear water dripping, while ahead of you, the hum of distant generator drones on. Regularly, I found myself totally immersed, and that was a surefire indication of a technically successful film.
The main focus of the film is our actors, which is where I thought the film had some trouble. Viggo Mortensen and Colin Farrel play British cave divers Richard Stanton and John Volanthen. While both actors did a fine job at playing their roles, I felt only that they were vehicles through which to tell the story. Additionally, we were not introduced to the men until nearly twenty minutes in. Those first twenty minutes of the film showed us Thai actors, who spoke Thai, and as an English speaker, I found myself truly engrossed in the story. And then, there was Farrel and Mortensen, which took me right out of the film. It may have been wiser to cast relatively unknown actors to make the story a little more grounded.
Many critics of this film have attacked the film’s necessity. There are points, especially in the third act, where you know the outcome, and you find yourself waiting for the film to end. It is also, at least, the third film made about the event since 2018. “Thirteen Lives” followed Jimmy Chin’s “The Rescue,” a documentary on the event, with realistic recreations of moments with the real divers who participated.
I think this film is necessary. Many people don’t care for documentaries or may consider them boring. But this story is a fascinating one that holds a pure message that needs to be heard. Between the star power and Amazon’s advertising, it will be heard. With Ron Howard at the helm, I think the film balances both needed escapism and a truly human story with great success.
“Thirteen Lives” is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.
