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In 2018, thirteen Thai boys were stranded in a cave after an unseasonably early storm flooded the entrance and trapped them inside. This documentary chronicles the heroic rescue mission that was executed by a team of recreational cave divers who risked their lives to save the boys.
Presented by Jimmy Chin and wife Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, the same duo that brought “Free Solo” to the big screen, the filmmakers present an engrossing retelling that emphasizes not only the heroism of those involved but also the extreme emotional toll the rescue exacted. This is an incredibly poignant film filled with triumph and tragedy as well as a touching and unexpected love story.
The filmmakers use footage mostly from the actual events but combine it with subsequently filmed dramatizations. In less proficient hands, the addition of content shot after-the-fact could have been a distraction, but instead it enhances the experience, illustrating the claustrophobia of cave diving and highlighting the absolute daring of the rescue plan.
If the film is lacking in any way, it is that it fails to present the perspective of the trapped juveniles—a lens which would have amplified the urgency of the situation. This is no fault of the filmmakers but rather due to competing studios owning narrative rights to different aspects of the story (Netflix will be releasing a documentary series next year focusing on the boys).
The recency of the events depicted in the film, and the fact that this operation was so widely publicized, may remove some of the suspense from the ending. But the film maintains tension throughout, due largely to compelling central characters and a barrage of emotional gut-punches.
Hot take: This true story about societal misfits using their specialized, but often marginalized, skills to do something incredible was personally very inspiring.
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