The Rescue (2021)
96%RT Audience Score: 99%
Awards & Nominations: NA
The Rescue is a documentary that will leave you breathless, not just because of the harrowing story it tells, but because of the masterful way it is told. The filmmakers manage to create a sense of tension and urgency, even though we all know how the story ends. The use of archival footage, interviews, and re-enactments is seamless, and the result is a film that feels both real and cinematic. The logistics of the rescue are mind-boggling, and the bravery of the rescuers is awe-inspiring. But what really sets this film apart is the way it captures the human spirit, the way people from all over the world came together to save these boys. It’s a story that will make you believe in the power of humanity, and it’s a film that will stay with you long after the credits roll.
The Rescue is a documentary that will have you on the edge of your seat, even though you already know the outcome. The filmmakers manage to capture the tension and emotion of the rescue mission, and the sheer logistics of the operation are mind-boggling. Plus, there’s plenty of archive footage and interviews with the main participants to keep you engaged. It’s an incredible story of how people from all over the world can come together to help one another, and it’s definitely worth a watch. Just make sure you have some tissues handy, because you might shed a tear or two.
Production Company(ies)
National Geographic Documentary Films, Ventureland Storyteller Productions,
Distributor
Greenwich Entertainment
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Thailand
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for thematic material involving peril and some language
Year of Release
2021
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 47m
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Language(s):Thai, English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 8, 2021 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 3, 2021
Genre(s)
Documentary/Drama
Keyword(s)
documentary, drama, mystery, thriller, rescue, cave diving, Thailand, international community, courage, compassion, against-all-odds, perilous, extraordinary, exclusive interviews, never-before-seen material, E Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, John Battsek, Bob Eisenhardt, P.J van Sandwijk, PG, thematic material, some language, peril, English, Greenwich Entertainment, Dolby Digital, Bancha Duriyapunt, Apakorn Youkongkaew, Anan Surawan, Woranan Ratrawiphukkun, Rick Stanton, John Volanthen, reviewed by Craig Mathieson, Simran Hans, Kevin Maher, Lindsey Bahr, Danny Leigh, Cath Clarke, Grace Han, Christopher Cross, Mark Johnson, Robert Roten, Ezequiel Boetti, Filipe Freitas, produced by, directed by, starring, box office performance, budget, MPAA rating
Worldwide gross: $1,060,556
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,153,468
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,561
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 125,787
US/Canada gross: $1,060,556
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,153,468
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,154
US/Canada opening weekend: $65,591
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $71,337
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,072
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Apakorn Youkongkaew – Self
Anan Surawan – Self
Woranan Ratrawiphukkun – Self
Rick Stanton – Self
John Volanthen – Self
Director – Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin
Producer – John Battsek, Jimmy Chin, Bob Eisenhardt, P.J. van Sandwijk, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
Sound Mix – Dolby Digital
Distributor – Greenwich Entertainment
Director(s)
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
John Battsek, Jimmy Chin, Bob Eisenhardt, P.J. van Sandwijk, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
Film Festivals
Telluride, Toronto
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (97) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (93) | Rotten (4)
Knowing the outcome doesn’t lessen the grip of the storytelling — individual moments are telling, lesser-known tragedies dot the desperate rush to act, and at each point, the jagged tunnels and torrid currents exert an almost tactile hold.
January 6, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
Craig Mathieson
The Age (Australia)
TOP CRITIC
[A] hugely involving documentary…
October 31, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Simran Hans
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
The film-makers somehow manage to wring nerve-jangling tension from a foregone conclusion.
October 29, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Kevin Maher
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
“The Rescue” is easily one of the best documentaries of the year.
October 28, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
Lindsey Bahr
Associated Press
TOP CRITIC
The sheer logistics are so absorbing that the raw emotion rears back almost unexpectedly – and without a hint of sentimentality.
October 28, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Danny Leigh
Financial Times
TOP CRITIC
Not only is the story compelling, but thanks to how much the event captured the interest of the world’s media, there is a lot of archive footage to splice in among the generous wodges of talking-heads narration from the main participants.
October 26, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Cath Clarke
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
The Rescue successfully weaves in archival, interview, and re-enactment footage to deliver a glossy, but real feel for saving the boys in the Thai caves.
February 22, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/5
Grace Han
Asian Movie Pulse
An incredible documentary on the ways the world can come together to help one another.
February 12, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
Christopher Cross
Tilt Magazine
An absolutely fantastic watch and one of the most incredible and inspirational stories ever captured in a documentary.
February 11, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
Mark Johnson
Awards Daily
This is the kind of uplifting story we need in these trying times. In this movie, thousands of people from many countries work together to save 13, and the Thai government spends millions to save them.
January 4, 2022 | Rating: A
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope
Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi’s film does not escape this kind of story’s formal flatness… they certainly know how to pull the viewer’s internal strings with a story that grows in tension and emotion as it progresses. [Full review in Spanish]
January 4, 2022 | Rating: 3/5
Ezequiel Boetti
Otroscines.com
Suspenseful and powerful from minute one until the end, the film provides a harrowing look at how an apparently safe gathering could veer into a nerve-racking, life-threatening situation.
December 24, 2021 | Rating: 4.5/5
Filipe Freitas
Always Good Movies…
Plot
The Rescue chronicles the enthralling, against-all-odds story that transfixed the world in 2018: the daring rescue of twelve boys and their coach from deep inside a flooded cave in Northern Thailand. Using a wealth of never-before-seen material and exclusive interviews, E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin keep viewers on the edge of their seats as they bring alive one of the most perilous and extraordinary rescues in modern times, shining a light on the high-risk world of cave diving, the astounding courage and compassion of the rescuers, and the shared humanity of the international community that united to save the boys.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast of The Rescue includes real-life individuals involved in the daring rescue mission, such as Bancha Duriyapunt, Apakorn Youkongkaew, Anan Surawan, Woranan Ratrawiphukkun, Rick Stanton, and John Volanthen.
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