The film "Thirteen Lives" adheres to familiar patterns seen in movies inspired by real occurrences; however, Ron Howard’s straightforward and unvarnished approach enables him to effectively recount a truly astonishing story of survival from recent years. Virtually every performer delivers an excellent performance, though Viggo Mortensen and Colin Farrell largely steer the narrative through its essential, often tense moments, despite the film's considerable length. It may be engaging for those unfamiliar with the actual events, but it’s unclear if the movie offers anything substantially new beyond what was presented in the documentary "The Rescue," which also covers those same eighteen days of hardship, worry, and doubt. It deserves recognition that speakers of Thai have a significant amount of screen time. Rating: B-

Source on TMDB