Deep sea diving ranks as one of the world’s most hazardous occupations. Back in 2012, Chris Lemons faced certain death while doing his job as one. Lemons’ life-or-death encounter unfolds in the dramatic film Last Breath.
The movie opens with Chris (Finn Cole) telling his fiancée, Morag (Bobby Rainsbury), that he’s going on a month-long deep-sea dive. Attempting to soothe his worried bride-to-be, he compares his job to being an astronaut but underwater, a comparison that fails to ease her fears.
Chris, along with his friend, veteran diver Duncan (Woody Harrelson), and no-nonsense diver Dave (Simu Liu), undertakes a saturation dive to repair a pipeline in the North Sea. The job should be straightforward and routine. But when the support ship gets hit with a storm, it loses power to the engines. Veering off course, the support ship ends up causing Chris’s umbilical cable to get caught. It snaps with him over 300 feet under water.
With only 10 minutes of oxygen left in his dive suit, Chris must work his way through the pitch-black water to where his cord snapped. Reaching there is the only way for Chris to be saved by Dave and Duncan.
On the submersible, facing a ticking clock and a raging storm, Duncan and Dave wait for their support ship to redirect them to Chris’s rescue. As time ticks away, Dave tells Duncan, “We’re going to be too late. It’s a body recovery now.” But Duncan refuses to give up, declaring he’s not losing a diver today.
Last Breath, based on an incredible true story, is a gripping, edge-of-your-seat disaster movie that succeeds because of stellar performances and tight pacing. Woody Harrelson is perfect as the grizzled, determined, deep sea diving veteran who refuses to lose his friend Chris no matter what the odds. His performance is both moving and powerful. Simu Liu is impressive as the hardened professional, Dave, who grows emotionally invested in Chris’s rescue as the situation worsens.
Both Cliff Curtis as Captain Andre Jenson and MyAnna Buring as first mate Hanna do a terrific job conveying the inner turmoil their characters feel as they weigh putting the safety of the support ship and crew in jeopardy to save Chris.
Director Alex Parkinson keeps the film’s pacing tight, never dragging out or hyping a scene for the drama. Instead, Parkinson’s focus remains on the realistic look and feel of each scene. Paul Leonard-Morgan’s musical score adds tension and drama to the film.
Last Breath’s outstanding performances and perfect pacing make for a riveting real-life rescue film.
GRADE B+
MPA Rating: PG-13 for brief strong language
Release Date: February 28, 2025
Running Time: 1 hour 33 minutes
Studio: Focus Features
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