Thirteen Lives

Digging beyond the headlines and television soundbites surrounding a true-life survival saga that captivated the world, Thirteen Lives is compelling even if you already know the ending.

This slick and stylish crowd-pleaser from director Ron Howard might be embellished in places to maximize the inherent suspense and the obvious tearjerking potential of the incredible 2018 extrication of a youth soccer team from a cave in northern Thailand.

Told with urgency and sensitivity, the film diligently captures the massive scope of the international rescue effort — with all of its logistical, psychological, and sociopolitical complications — while maintaining a boots-on-the-ground intimacy.

For those needing a recap, the incident involved 12 boys and their coach who became lost and trapped while visiting a mountain cavern on the cusp of the country’s rainy season, which severely complicated any search-and-rescue effort.

With local cavers and divers overwhelmed by the labyrinthine structure of the cave and the oppressive conditions, British experts Rick Stanton (Viggo Mortensen) and John Volanthen (Colin Farrell) are dispatched to the scene.

As days pass, the water rises and global media coverage brightens the spotlight, hope dwindles for a positive outcome for the youngsters and their rescuers alike. “I expect casualties,” shares a paramedic (Joel Edgerton) who joins the mission.

The film theorizes that most moviegoers will already be familiar with the basics of the backstory, so the straightforward screenplay by William Nicholson (Gladiator) concentrates instead on fleshing out some of the characters and smaller details. It derives suspense and gut-wrenching power from the longshot nature of the reluctantly agreed-upon plan.

Meanwhile, Howard and his crew stage some impressive underwater sequences as part of an immersive visual approach. Note the stark contrast between the serenity inside the cave and the chaos just outside its entrance.

While saluting the courage and determination of the diving team, it’s unfortunate and perhaps inevitable that the Thai characters — from parents to government officials to the players themselves — aren’t explored with the same level of depth (apparently due in part to story rights restrictions).

The film is only moderately insightful and hardly surprising for those who saw The Rescue, the riveting 2021 documentary covering the same story.

Still, Thirteen Lives conveys emotional depth without settling for cheap sentiment, enabling its titular humanity to shine through. In other words, it scores its goals.

Rated PG-13, 148 minutes.