Film Review: THIRTEEN LIVES (2022): Ron Howard is Back in Top Form With a Powerful Rescue Drama

Thirteen Lives Review

Thirteen Lives (2022) Film Review, a movie directed by Ron Howard, written by William Nicholson and Don MacPherson and starring Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, Joel Edgerton, Paul Gleeson, Tom Bateman, Teeradon Supapunpinyo, Pasakorn Hoyhon, Pattrakorn Tungsupakul and Sahajak Boonthanakit.

Ron Howard’s new film, Thirteen Lives, is a tense dramatic movie that keeps a tight grip on the viewer throughout as it displays scenes of fierce intensity. This movie, centered in Thailand, revolves around a real-life rescue mission that actually happened back in 2018. The mission was to rescue twelve young boys and their soccer coach from the Tham Luang Nang Non cave. Howard’s skillful direction couldn’t be more precise as the movie is so intense that watching it could make your heart skip a beat because the filmmaker immerses the viewer in the action to the point that you almost feel you are right there with the rescue team and the actual “thirteen lives” which are hanging in the balance. For almost three weeks, the “thirteen lives” were in jeopardy and the movie is about those who did everything that could possibly be done to save them.

The casting of the new film works tremendously to the picture’s advantage with three of the most efficient actors working today in the movie’s central leading roles. Viggo Mortensen, as he has proven in many other roles, is a hero like no other while Colin Farrell and Joel Edgerton can also prove to be quite strong as movie stars with their dramatic work here. The latter two actors’ characters play an integral role in the events that transpire throughout the picture.

Mortensen plays the retired fireman/volunteer British diver, Rick Stanton to exquisite perfection while Farrell as the other key British diver/father, John Volanthen, is more than up to the task of being a leading man to contend with. Edgerton serves as an Australian anesthetist named Harris who became a central part of the mission the movie portrays. It’s safe to say this role is one of the most crucial ones Edgerton has ever played and he emerges victorious here. All three actors make the movie an experience that is worth beholding especially under Howard’s direction which is fearless and will pack a whopping emotional impact on the audience.

It took a grand team to attempt to rescue the thirteen lives referred to in the movie’s title and their efforts triumphed against the odds as hope seemed to have disappeared once the group initially entered the caves and got caught in the waterlogged scenario that seemed likely to lead to impending doom.

Howard’s almost two-and-a-half hours long film ably portrays the events that occurred making them accessible to audiences who will feel the claustrophobia that sets in during the course of the journey. The editing of this movie is very crucial to its success and keeps the picture propelling forward. Take into consideration the film’s riveting scenes towards the end which are so compelling that audiences won’t be able to avoid being on the edge of their seats.

Howard commands excellent turns from several of the supporting players. Pattrakorn Tungsupakul as the mother of the younger boy in the trapped group, Chai (a well-cast Pasakorn Hoyhon), is noteworthy for her extremely heartfelt performance which stands out tremendously. It’s hard not to feel the pain and fear that Tungsupakul’s character experiences during the course of the picture. Also very strong in the movie is Teeradon Supapunpinyo as the coach of the Wild Boar soccer team who thought that it was okay for his players to go to the infamous cave where the majority of the action of the picture occurs. Supapunpinyo is terrific here playing a character that could have been just a background role in another picture. Finally, as Governor Narongsak, Sahajak Boonthanakit adds another nuanced performance to the film as a man who is walking a tightrope which he could easily fall from as the story gets more advanced.

Scenes in this movie are intense and the discovery of the initial fact that the boys are, indeed, trapped makes for a harrowing scene. It makes you think what you would do if you learned your own kids were in the given situation. This movie is ultra realistic and the action can almost feel like authentic footage of the actual mission at times.

As the old pro divers Rick and John, Mortensen and Farrell create multi-faceted characters amidst all the sequences of peril. They both took on physically challenging roles that are amazing to behold. This could actually be one of Mortensen’s best recent roles to date. It’s ultimately Rick’s interaction with Harris that holds the key to the movie’s eventual outcome. Finally, another strong performance that deserves to be mentioned is that of Tom Bateman who portrays the tech consultant/diver named Chris Jewell. Bateman expertly conveys this character on screen.

Because of the film’s many plot threads and characters, this movie would collapse if it was directed in a less than stellar fashion. Luckily, Howard is at his best here and keeps the action moving so well that it’s impossible not to get caught up in the plot details and seeing the “how” and the “why” the rescue attempt could actually be successful. It’s not enough to know the story, you need to see all the logistics of the mission which are perfectly explained in this intense film.

Thirteen Lives is ultimately a little too long and some of the characters are given less screen time than others (some of the kids could have been more well defined) but these are rather minor quibbles in an overall heavy but powerful movie that deserves to be seen. Even if the film itself does not get nominated for Best Picture, Howard definitely deserves a nod for Best Director because he guides this movie to victory through his skilled film-making abilities. This is one movie that you should definitely seek out.

Rating: 8.5/10

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