The Rescue

The Rescue

The enthralling, against-all-odds story that transfixed the world in 2018: the daring rescue of twelve boys and their coach from deep inside a flooded cave in Northern Thailand.

  • Released: 2021-10-08
  • Runtime: 107 minutes
  • Genre: Documentaries, Drama, Thrillers
  • Stars: Jim Warny, Thanet Natisri, John Volanthen, Derek Anderson, Rick Stanton, Mikko Paasi, Richard Harris, Josh Morris, Mitch Torrel, Craig Challen, Ruengrit Changkwanyuen, Josh Bratchley, Jason Mallinson, Connor Roe, Fiona Harris, Ben Svasti Thomson, Chris Jewell, Felix Rosen, Saman Gunan, Vern Unsworth, Rob Harper, Bhak Loharjun, Surathin Chaichoomphu, Natnadai Bradwell, Singhanat Losuya, Waleeporn Gunan, Bobby Trarewaxe, Somsak Kanakam, Tiger Hirankrit, Woranan Ratrawiphukkun, Anan Surawan, Ben Reymenants, Nat Lawson, Apakorn Youkongkaew, Weerasak Kowsurat, Anupong Paochinda, Bancha Duriyapunt, Siriporn Bangnoen
  • Director: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin
 Comments
  • GabrielSymes - 25 September 2023
    Must watch
    I watched the dramatisation of the rescue first, 13 Lives. I didn't expect it, but I loved it, so started googling what really happened... it turns out the lead rescuers were broadly in agreement that the film was a fair depiction. Then I discovered this documentary and had to see it.

    This documentary is easily as good as the dramatisation, but obviously very different. It's created from mobile camera and news camera footage. So it definitely lacks some production quality. But what does come across are the characters involved. Quirky, odd, but completely focussed on the job at hand. Remarkable that otherwise unremarkable people, mostly from the UK, can simply shrug off the media circus surrounding them and get on with the job at hand.

    What this documentary does well is provide background into who these people are. A retired fireman, an IT consultant, a medic... all bound together by a passion for wriggling miles underground in complete darkness and underwater. I guess they don't suffer from claustrophobia. The very peculiar and unique skills are brought to the fore in the parallel story of the elite Thai divers being completely unable to make headway with the rescue. Not to diminish the bravery of the Thai divers, they were more used to deep sea diving.

    If you enjoyed the dramatisation, then it is very much worthwhile seeing this documentary. It adds a lot of depth to a remarkable and outstanding rescue, and the characters involved.
  • hayleymuench - 8 November 2022
    The story I remembered on the news vs what REALLY happened- are two entirely different stories.
    From the first 5 minutes i was hooked, obviously like the rest of the world i was invested in this story as it was happening. But to see how the story really played out, i remember going "why dont they just do this?" Or "wow they really managed to do that? What are they even doing?" And now watching it, I'm in pure infatuation.

    I remember thinking it was a couple cave divers who "stumbled" onto the team. No no, it was infact the greatest cave divers in the world who indeed did it as a hobby. But they were called upon to do this mission, and it really is their story. And by that i mean this documentary in particular is their story.

    I truly was on the edge of my seat, even though I remember this happening i didn't remember or know all the details so i was just gripped with intensity. You really don't know what's reenactments verse actual footage because it is done so well and the real men telling the story do their own reenactments. It was so well done.

    One last thing, a shoutout is needed to everyone involved in the mission to saving these lives, including the team themselves. True heroes, pure bravery.