Last Breath (2025) - Film Review

      Last Breath, 2025.

      Directed by Alex Parkinson.

      Featuring Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, Finn Cole, Cliff Curtis, Bobby Rainsbury, Nick Biadon, Connor Reed, Riz Khan, MyAnna Buring, Mark Bonnar, Josef Altin, Claudiu Baciu, Brett Murray, Aldo Silvio, Kevin Naudi, Daithí O’Donnell, Christian Scicluna.

      SYNOPSIS:

      Based on a true story, this film chronicles the efforts of experienced deep-sea divers as they confront fierce conditions to save a crew member trapped hundreds of feet beneath the ocean’s surface.

      It’s common for Hollywood to take an impressive documentary and adapt it into a feature film, usually embellishing certain aspects. Interestingly, Last Breath is not merely a reimagining with obligatory emotional undertones; it also comes from Alex Parkinson, who directed the original documentary. While no film is strictly necessary, one can't help but wonder, “Why does this exist?” and “What would lead someone to prefer this superficial retelling over the already detailed and gripping documentary?”

      Perhaps Alex Parkinson, co-writing with Mitchell LaFortune and David Brooks, aims to draw more attention to the narrative or raise awareness of the hazards associated with deep-sea diving and pipeline maintenance. Given that the portrayal of the three main divers remains shallow and that this film does not venture beyond a conventional storytelling approach to this true event, the experience feels like a diluted version of the documentary. The only possible exception may be fervent Woody Harrelson fans, though he never enters the water, so expectations should be managed.

      On a lighter note, it’s important to clarify that Last Breath isn’t a bad film; it’s quite watchable for individuals unfamiliar with the true story or the documentary, depicting the ocean floor as an expansive, dark, and frightening realm. Occasionally, deep-sea divers are hired to descend approximately 300 feet while equipped with protective gear and oxygen tanks to maintain pipelines essential for urban infrastructure. Woody Harrelson plays Duncan Allock, the aging veteran who faces being replaced against his wishes. His colleagues for this assignment include Simu Liu’s focused Dave Yuasa, who is so absorbed in his work that he neglects his personal life, and the youthful, eager Chris Lemons (Finn Cole), who, although aware of the job's dangers, approaches it with a rookie's innocence and a cheerful demeanor.

      They are among several paired teams, housed in “bells” that serve as underwater vessels tethered to a ship. These have kitchens, bedrooms, and designated areas for diving when necessary. On the first day of this assignment, severe thunderstorms create havoc for the ship, affecting its electronic systems and communications. Things take a turn for the worse when Chris becomes entangled in equipment, loses contact with Dave while attempting to return to the bell, and finds himself with only eight minutes of backup oxygen to use cautiously while waiting for a rescue.

      A key flaw is that the filmmakers often lean heavily into melodrama and familiar tropes. As Chris succumbs to oxygen deprivation, he reflects on memories with his fiancée Morag (Bobby Rainsbury). Duncan shares a distressing past experience involving a similar incident, vowing that no one will die this time, while Dave maintains a composed and ready demeanor in case a rescue opportunity arises. The likelihood of a rescue hinges on whether the ship crew can find manual alternatives to their malfunctioning technology, which is not as gripping as the stakes of endangered lives underwater but still provides a rewarding problem-solving angle.

      Rather than exploring deeper themes related to this profession or delving into the characters’ psyches, Last Breath is satisfied with capitalizing on certain elements for all they’re worth. There is undoubtedly more complexity here than the simple question of Chris’s survival, and while there are some effective suspenseful moments against a hauntingly beautiful setting engulfed in darkness (one character humorously likens it to traveling to the moon, only at the ocean floor), the narrative ultimately feels constrained.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

      Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association, Critics Choice Association, and Online Film Critics Society. He also serves as the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews and follow my BlueSky or Letterboxd.