--- title: "The Rescue: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-rescue/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-rescue" critics_score: 81 critics_reviews: 17 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Rescue (2021): what the critics said Critics' score 81 from 17 reviews: 17 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. ## Radio Times — Matt Glasby Rating 5/5. The critic praises this documentary for recounting an audacious act of group heroism in a tense and accessible manner. It singles out the surprising humor and exploration of the rescuers' psychology and eccentricities for adding a crucial human element. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-vwmhjb/the-rescue/) ## Slant Magazine — Mark Jenkins Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 5 October 2021. The critic finds the documentary masterfully layered and transfixing even for those familiar with the events, attesting to living a calling. It singles out the reenactments with original participants and the gripping narrative built from footage, interviews, and maps. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-rescue-review-cave-diving-documentary/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Frank Scheck Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2021. Festival review. The critic calls it a true-life adventure film that puts Hollywood to shame, keeping viewers on the edge of their seat with riveting, nail-biting storytelling. The review singles out the effective mix of archival footage, reenactments, and interviews that give the story vital human dimension. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-rescue-telluride-2021-1235006007/) ## The Independent — Lindsey Bahr Rating Three and a half stars out of four. 6 October 2021. The critic calls the documentary riveting and one of the best of the year, praising how it makes viewers feel present in the events despite knowing the outcome. It singles out the filmmakers' focused approach on the rescue efforts and the compelling real-life characters, especially the British divers, for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/thai-brits-yosemite-el-capitan-oscar-b1933503.html) ## Variety Rating Critic's Pick. 3 September 2021. Festival review. The directors lucidly document the extraordinary rescue story with cinematic finesse, balancing narrative perspectives from multiple international teams and celebrating selfless heroism through sharp instincts and dextrous editing. It is a stunning documentary of moral resonance and mastery best experienced on the big screen. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/the-rescue-review-1235054262/) ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 3 September 2021. Festival review. The critic describes it as another heart-in-your-throat documentary from the Free Solo team about extreme athletes. It singles out the harrowing account of the cave rescue operation and the divers' bravery. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-rescue-cave-diving-documentary-review-1234661533/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 3 September 2021. Festival review. The review calls it a tense, absorbing documentary with a strong emotional charge that leaves viewers filled with admiration for the boys and the quiet heroism of the rescuers. It singles out the forensic detail provided and the wide range of testimonies assembled for creating a definitive account. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-rescue-telluride-review/5162908.article) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 7 October 2021. The directors deliver a solid, suspenseful nonfiction retelling that brings viewers close to the experience through clear logistics and integrated reenactments. It shows affinity for daredevil minds and achieves a balance of extreme-sports primer and psychological profile, proving gripping and moving. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-10-07/rescue-review-thai-cave-documentary) ## RogerEbert.com — Roxana Hadadi Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 8 October 2021. The documentary focuses on the divers' perspective in the Thai cave rescue but feels like only half the story due to lack of access to the boys and their families and reliance on existing footage. It builds strong tension in the rescue sequences and is emotionally moving despite a languid start. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-rescue-movie-review-2021) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 October 2021. The review praises this involving documentary for centering on the British cave divers rather than the rescued boys and for seamlessly integrating news footage with reconstructions. It highlights the ethical and practical dilemmas of the sedation plan as the element that raises the stakes. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/oct/31/the-rescue-review-thai-cave-rescue-documentary-free-solo-directors) ## The New York Times — Jessica Kiang Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 7 October 2021. The film delivers a gripping, rousing narrative of the cave rescue centered on the rescuers and cave divers' mentality, with elegant procedural recreations that create edge-of-your-seat drama. It unites disparate individuals behind a noble goal but does not deeply explore more intriguing aspects of the story. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/07/movies/the-rescue-review.html) ## The Times — Kevin Maher Rating ★★★★☆. 28 October 2021. The review commends the deft mixing of archive footage, interviews and recreations to create tension despite the known outcome, and singles out the quiet eccentricity and emotional depth of the British lead divers for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/the-rescue-review-deft-emotional-telling-thai-cave-rescue-pchvkmsng) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating A. 8 October 2021. The critic calls it a thrilling documentary about a miracle mission that captures the cave rescue powerfully without embellishment. They single out the mind-blowing footage of the divers navigating poor-visibility conditions and the emphasis on the unassuming hobbyists as the key to the story's humanity and tension. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-rescue-review-thai-cave-documentary/) ## /Film — Chris Evangelista Rating 8.5 out of 10. 14 September 2021. Festival review. The critic praises it as a harrowing, captivating documentary about selfless heroism in the Thai cave rescue, shot like a thriller with effective recreations, though noting minor issues like a cloying song. It highlights the emotional uplift from the divers' selflessness. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/604617/the-rescue-review-free-solo-directors-return-with-a-nail-biting-doc-about-the-thai-cave-rescue-tiff-2021/) ## Deadline — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2021. Festival review. The filmmakers come close to matching their previous work Free Solo with this account of the vast operation to rescue the trapped Thai soccer team and coach. It offers cogent reporting on the suspenseful story with unique characters and guarantees wide viewer interest. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2021/09/film-review-the-rescue-telluride-elizabeth-chai-vasarhelyi-jimmy-chin-documentary-1234827443/) ## The Playlist — Jason Bailey Rating B. 3 September 2021. Festival review. While effective and tense, especially in the heist-like assembly of divers and dramatic tension, it suffers in comparison to "Free Solo" due to less intimacy and some distancing reenactments and overly sentimental ending. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/the-rescue-telluride-review-20210903/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 7 October 2021. The directors slickly tell the unlikely story of the cave-diving hobbyists who saved the day in this enthralling documentary. The real-life story is so spectacular it is hard to believe, though the overwhelming polish sometimes undermines its efficacy as a documentary. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/the-rescue-film-review-thai-soccer-cave-rescue-documentary-natgeo/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-rescue.md