Thirteen Lives review: An exhilarating real-life inspired survival movie

Thirteen Lives is an incredibly riveting survival movie that has been gleaned from the real-life 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue incident. The highly-anticipated film finally made its debut on Friday, August 5, 2022, on the streaming platform Amazon Prime Video.

William Nicholson was the screenplay writer for the movie, while the highly renowned and critically acclaimed director Ron Howard was the director. The latter was also the producer of the film along with Karen Lunder, P.J. van Sandwijk, Gabrielle Tana, Brian Grazer and William M. Connor.

The official synopsis of Thirteen Lives on Prime Video reads:

"In the true story of Thirteen Lives, twelve boys and the coach of a Thai soccer team explore the Tham Luang cave when an unexpected rainstorm traps them in a chamber inside the mountain. Entombed behind a maze of flooded cave tunnels, they face impossible odds. A team of world-class divers navigate through miles of dangerous cave networks to discover that finding the boys is only the beginning."

Since its premiere on Prime Video on Friday, August 5, 2022, the film has already begun creating a positive buzz among the audience and critics. This is mainly due to its exceptional direction, phenomenal acting from the lead cast and its highly gripping writing and cinematography.

So, without further delay, let's dive deep to find out how the survival movie, Thirteen Lives, has turned out.

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Review of Amazon Prime Video's Thirteen Lives

Gripping and extremely intense representation of an astounding true story

Inspired by the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue, Thirteen Lives gives the audience an immersing and electrifying representation of the real-life incident. Nicholson, a critically acclaimed screenplay writer, has undoubtedly done an exceptional job of weaving the story very intensely.

The writing of the movie will definitely take the audience on an incredibly tense but exhilarating journey, even though it has taken inspiration from a true story. What makes the writing so brilliant is how it helps build layered tensions and generates thrill throughout the movie.

As for the film's direction, the Academy Award winner Howard has done an outstanding job of giving the audience a nail-biting visual experience. The direction makes the film riveting right from the very beginning to the end.

Howard has also done a phenomenal job of capturing several intense scenes throughout the movie. Some of these include the scene where Chris Jewell was seen getting into serious trouble or even the one that had Richard 'Harry' Harris rescuing the boy.

Thanks to how well-known the incident was, several viewers were aware of the outcome before they watched the movie. Despite this, they will all find themselves getting absorbed and engrossed in the refreshingly brilliant direction.

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Captivating cinematography elevated the movie to another level

Renowned Thai cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom outdid himself as he gave viewers a remarkable visual experience throughout the movie. The underwater scenes are especially incredible. Other than this, there are several emotional and absorbing scenes that have captured the incident in the most arresting way possible.

They are captured in the most authentic and captivating manner, providing the movie with the same amount of intensity as the direction and writing. The cinematography of Thirteen Lives undoubtedly plays a significant part in the success of the movie.

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Remarkable acting performances by the lead actors

Thirteen Lives stars Viggo Mortensen, Joel Edgerton, Colin Farrell, Tom Bateman, Thiraphat Sajakul, Sukollawat Kanarot and Sahajak Boonthanakit. They are joined by Vithaya Pansringarm, Nophand Boonyai, Teeradon Supapunpinyo, Paul Gleeson, U Gambira and Lewis Fitz-Gerald.

Viggo Mortensen as Richard Stanton is exceptional as he delves deep into the character, bringing out all of the character's emotional aspects quite brilliantly. His portrayal was raw and intense, giving the character the right amount of intensity.

Colin Farrell as John Volanthe has also done an incredible job of portraying his character incredibly realistically. It is refreshing to see Farrell in this role as the audience gets to see a different side of the actor as he dives deep into every layer of the character.

Joel Edgerton as Richard Harris or Harry is absolutely remarkable. His on-screen presence is riveting. He creates on-screen magic with his intense and charming portrayal of the character. It is safe to say that his acting performance only adds to the intensity of the movie.

Other actors on the cast list have also done an incredible job in portraying their characters, this, elevating the entire movie.

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Don't forget to catch Thirteen Lives, which is currently streaming on the popular streaming platform Amazon Prime Video.