Tonight's Movie: The Rescue (2021)

I've been curious about THE RESCUE (2021) since I heard good things about it last year.

This documentary about the rescue of a dozen young soccer players and their coach from a flooded cave in Thailand is available to stream via the Disney+ National Geographic channel.

The rescue was beyond the skillset of brave Thai Navy SEALs and was accomplished by an international group of cave diving experts, supported by thousands of engineers, medical staff, military, and more.

I remember reading about the rescue at the time it happened in 2018, but watching the documentary brings home just how audacious the rescue was. One of many miracles is that an anesthesiologist with cave diving expertise even existed; he played a key role in sedating the boys enough for them to make the hours-long underwater journey out of the cave.

The movie, directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, effectively utilizes a combination of documentary footage, re-enactments with original participants, and computerized graphics to tell the story.

As one might expect, the film is equal parts nerve-wracking and uplifting. A Thai Navy SEAL did sadly die during the operation, but knowing that everyone else would survive made it a little easier to watch.

It's ultimately a feel-good story which balances the experiences of the uniquely skilled rescue divers with the many people who came together to work on the project over a period of two and a half weeks. There's a great deal of courage on display in this film, not least from the boys themselves.

Given recent events, it was also moving seeing Queen Elizabeth near the end when she awarded honors to the British divers.

A couple times I felt claustrophobic enough watching to look away, but it's a fascinating film and 107 minutes fly by. The documentary is rated 8.3 at IMDb, out of over 16000 votes, which I think is a good testament to its quality. It's definitely worthwhile viewing.

THE RESCUE is rated PG. The trailer is here.

Tweet