Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- tense
- claustrophobic
- earnest
- true story movie night
- historical drama viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found the rescue story effective and well acted but overly conventional, sentimental, and less emotionally searching than the real event warranted.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film intercuts the miners' confinement with the vigil, government response, and drilling effort at the surface.
Mine owner Carlos Castillo ignores Luis Urzúa's warnings, while missing ladders and inadequate supplies worsen the disaster.
Mario Sepúlveda insists that none of the thirty-three miners receive priority over the others during the initial panic and deprivation.
The 2010 San José Mine disaster is presented through the miners, their families, Chilean officials, and the international rescue effort.
Films like The 33, and why
Deepwater Horizon
shared true-event survival drama, institutional failure, and rescue-operation tension
The Finest Hours
shared disaster drama structure, working-class protagonists, and collective endurance under extreme conditions
Apollo 13
shared confined survival narrative, moral leadership, and emotionally direct rescue storytelling
Movie Details
- Director
- Patricia Riggen
- Release Date
- 2015-08-06
- Runtime
- 120 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (1018)
Cast
- Antonio Banderas
- Rodrigo Santoro
- Kate del Castillo
- Juliette Binoche
- James Brolin
- Lou Diamond Phillips
- Cote De Pablo
- Naomi Scott
- Jacob Vargas
- Mario Casas
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, Cinemax Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The 33 about?
- A determined foreman, trapped miners, grieving families, and a rescue team confront corporate negligence and impossible odds after Chile's San José Mine collapses.
- What is The 33 like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The 33 as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The 33 violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The 33.
- What did critics think of The 33?
- Critics broadly found the rescue story effective and well acted but overly conventional, sentimental, and less emotionally searching than the real event warranted.
- Which films are like The 33?
- Films with a similar feel include Deepwater Horizon, The Finest Hours, and Apollo 13.
- How long is The 33?
- The 33 runs 120 minutes.
- Where can I watch The 33?
- In United States, The 33 streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, Cinemax Apple TV channel.
