BBC’s hidden gem drama based on ‘astonishing’ true story is your next must-watch

Thirteen Lives first premiered back in 2022 and stars Joel Edgerton, Colin Farrell, Viggo Mortensen, Tom Bateman and Paul Gleeson

re you looking for a hidden gem drama that’s sure to keep you gripped from start to finish? The BBC is adding Thirteen Lives to its roster of movies, and it’s a worthy contender for your watchlist this week.

Based on an “astonishing” true story that gripped the world back in 2018, Thirteen Lives tells the story of 12 young football players and their coach, who became trapped in a cave in Chiang Rai, Thailand, for 18 days.

Colin Farrell plays John Volanthen© Alamy Stock Photo
Colin Farrell plays John Volanthen

With limited resources and oxygen running out, an international team of expert divers carries out a high-stakes mission that verges on one “insane, unethical and illegal” idea.

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13), the 2022 movie stars Joel Edgerton, Colin Farrell and Viggo Mortensen and proved a hit with viewers, earning a 93 per cent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

If you love addictive real-life survival dramas like Lone Survivor, The Impossible, 127 Hours and Captain Phillips – or were captivated by the documentary The Rescue – then Thirteen Lives should be the next pick on your watchlist.

Joel Edgerton plays Dr. Richard "Harry" Harris© Alamy Stock Photo
Joel Edgerton plays Dr. Richard ‘Harry’ Harris

What is Thirteen Lives about?

The movie follows the events of the real-life story, which saw the “tremendous” global effort to rescue a Thai football team who became trapped in the Tham Luang cave network during an unexpected rainstorm.

The synopsis reads: “Faced with insurmountable odds, a team of the world’s most skilled and experienced divers – uniquely able to navigate the maze of flooded, narrow cave tunnels – join with Thai forces and more than 10,000 volunteers to attempt a harrowing rescue of the twelve boys and their coach.

Ron Howard on the set of Thirteen Lives © Alamy Stock Photo
Ron Howard on the set of Thirteen Lives

“With impossibly high stakes and the entire world watching, the group embarks on their most challenging dive yet, showcasing the limitlessness of the human spirit in the process.

“The film depicts how rescuers, engineers and divers tried everything in the face of outrageous odds – coming down to a moment when a group of ordinary people tried one final, extraordinary attempt to save Thirteen Lives.”

Who stars in Thirteen Lives?

The film charts the tremendous effort of the team of expert divers, who are played by Viggo Mortensen (Green Book), Colin Farrell (The Batman), Joel Edgerton (Train Dreams), Tom Bateman (Behind Her Eyes) and Paul Gleeson (The Thin Red Line).

The movie is streaming on Prime Video and will air on the BBC on Monday© Alamy Stock Photo
The movie is streaming on Prime Video and will air on the BBC on Monday

Meanwhile, Teeradon Supapunpinyo (Bad Genius) plays Coach Ek, Pattrakorn Tungsupakul (Rak Nakara) plays Buahom and Sukollawat Kanarot (Charming Deception) plays Saman Kunan.

What have viewers said about Thirteen Lives?

The movie was a hit with viewers and currently holds an 85 per cent critics score and a 93 per cent audience score.

In its four-star review, The Guardian wrote: “Ron Howard’s recreation of the 2018 rescue of a Thai junior football team is an impressively claustrophobic piece of cinema,” while the Observer penned: “As scripted, documentary-style fact-based dramas go, it doesn’t get much better than this.”

Viggo Mortensen plays Rick Stanton© Alamy Stock Photo
Viggo Mortensen plays Rick Stanton

Meanwhile, one Rotten Tomatoes viewer said: “It’s a definite hidden gem. Rescue missions are not really my thing, but this movie was great in all aspects. I felt the hope, the despair, the joy and the relief. It felt like a true story and finding out that, in the end, it was, was also astonishing.”

Another added: “This is easily one of the best new films I’ve watched in the last decade. The accuracy and attention to detail from Ron Howard and the screenwriters was outstanding. If you aren’t inspired by this film or shed a tear when you watch all of the locals banding together and sacrificing for the good of these boys, then you aren’t human. This is truly an inspirational film that tugs at your heart.”

Thirteen Lives lands on BBC One at 11.10pm on Monday and will be available to watch on iPlayer afterwards. It is also available to stream on Prime Video