Most people remember the 12 boys on a soccer team and their coach who were trapped inside a flooded cave in Northern Thailand in 2018. The Rescue was the excellent doc about the event (my review). Director Ron Howard has helmed this “narrative” version that features actors in the re-creation. There is some attention paid to the plight of families and authorities in Thailand, but most of the focus is on the English cave divers who led the effort (played by Colin Farrell, Viggo Mortensen & Joel Edgerton). While this version goes into more deeply into the fascinating procedure, it’s also 2.5 hours long. Howard has told the story effectively, but there’s surprisingly little emotion on display (the doc did it better). Still, if you haven’t “dived” into the deets of this incident, it’s an incredible true story of determination. 
(3 / 5)
