The Trapped 13: How We Survived The Thai Cave is a 2022 documentary film directed by Pailin Wedel and produced by Netflix. It follows the Tham Luang cave rescue, a 2018 mission that saved a junior association football team from a flooded cave.

The documentary serves as an oral history of the event told through the perspective of the 12 boys and the coach who were trapped in the cave. It also includes interviews with their parents, local officials, and the divers, as well as archival footage from various media outlets.

Cast The documentary features interviews with six members of the team: "Tee, Titan, Tle, Adul, Mark, Mix—and their coach, Eak." It also features footage of the entire team.

Name (RTGS) Informal name Age Comments Chanin Wibunrungrueang Titan 11 Phanumat Saengdi Mix 13 Duangphet Phromthep Dom 13 Team captain. Somphong Chaiwong Pong 13 Mongkhon Bunpiam Mark 13 Last to be rescued. Stateless. Natthawut Thakhamsong Tern/Tle 14 Rescued in first mission. Ekkarat Wongsukchan Biw 14 Adun Sam-on Adul 14 Only English-language speaker; communicated with initial rescue party. Stateless. Prachak Sutham Note 15 Rescued in first mission. Phiphat Phothi Nick 15 Rescued in first mission. Phonchai Khamluang Tee 16 Stateless. Phiraphat Somphiangchai Night 16–17 Celebrated his birthday while in the cave. Ekkaphon Kanthawong Eak 25 Assistant coach and former monk. Stateless. Ninth to be rescued.

Reception Critical response In John Serba's review of the documentary for Decider, he tells viewers to "Stream it." He also says: "No argument – the firsthand stories of the boys are absolutely valuable. We get a sense of the despair they felt, sure, and Wedel doesn't gloss over the harsher realities of their situations. But more so, we get a sense of their hope, and who they are as people, their personalities emerging as the documentary humanizes them and shows us the goofy young boys they inevitably, unapologetically are." Aurora Amidon of Paste calls the film "a masterclass in pacing" as the director Pailin Wedel "skillfully rotates between the perspectives of the boys, their parents and the rescue divers. Through this, she crafts a well-rounded, fast-moving picture of the event." She also notes that if "nothing else, Trapped 13 emphasizes that, without a doubt, the most important perspectives in the story of the Tham Luang cave rescue are those of the boys."

References

External links The Trapped 13: How We Survived The Thai Cave at Netflix