The 33

In 2010, a copper mine near San Jose, Chile, collapses trapping 33 workers deep underground. The world watches as rescuers race to reach them while the miners and their families endure heat and darkness. The film follows multiple perspectives from Mario Sepulveda and Katty Valdivia to the shift workers and the crews coordinating the rescue. We glimpse the procedures, drilling attempts, and the international support that arrives as the men hold on, sharing memories and humor to endure. No spoilers about how it ends, but the story centers on hope, resilience, and the bond that keeps a community united under pressure.

Directed by Patricia Riggen, The 33 was released in 2015 as a drama grounded in real events. The screenplay by Mikko Alanne and Michael Thomas adapts reporting by Hector Tobar. The cast includes Antonio Banderas as Mario Sepulveda, Rodrigo Santoro as Laurence Golborne, Kate del Castillo as Katty Valdivia, Juliette Binoche as Maria Segovia, and James Brolin as Jeff Hart.

Box office figures place The 33 at about 28 million worldwide, a modest return given its 25 million budget. The film found audiences in Latin America and among international drama fans who follow real life mining disasters.

The film underlines the global impulse to help, showing how nations and crews coordinate to support a small Chilean town. Banderas conveys Mario Sepulveda's grit and humor, while Binoche and del Castillo anchor the emotional core with steady resilience. The production centers on ordinary people who become symbols of courage, and the public response mirrors real life media fascination with crisis and rescue.

Critics noted Riggen keeps the focus on people rather than spectacle, balancing detail with intimate moments. The film examines themes of solidarity under stress, the weight of uncertainty, and the quiet leadership that emerges in crisis. The performances, especially the ensemble, convey endurance without melodrama as the miners' stories unfold alongside family and rescue teams. The film invites viewers to consider how communities rally when danger closes in and the outcome depends on ordinary people acting together with courage.