Back to What to Watch
The Rescue (2021) documentary poster

Documentary Style

Narrative

The Rescue

Why Watch

Even knowing the outcome, you'll be on the edge of your seat. Oscar-winning filmmakers use stunning footage to tell one of the most harrowing and inspiring rescue stories ever told.

Year

2021

Type

film

Runtime

107 min

Language

English

Director

Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi

Genres

ScienceNatureSocial Issues

Summary

When 12 boys and their coach became trapped deep in a flooded Thai cave, the world watched as an impossible rescue mission unfolded over 18 desperate days.

The cave's flooded passages were so treacherous that even elite Thai Navy SEALs couldn't navigate them, forcing rescuers to call in British cave divers whose obscure hobby suddenly became the world's only hope. Through never-before-seen footage and interviews with the divers, the film reveals the stunning technical challenges, impossible decisions, and heartbreaking setbacks that threatened to turn rescue into tragedy.

A breathtaking story of international collaboration and human determination that feels almost too extraordinary to be true—yet every moment is real.