Despite some thrilling underwater scenes and good performances from Finn Cole and Woody Harrelson, Last Breath is a forgettable film that does not prove itself as a necessary narrative adaptation of the documentary of the same name.

Last Breath (directed by Alex Parkinson) is as much of a dad’s movie as dad’s movies come. It’s based on a true story, short, easy to watch, and prioritizes technicality over fleshing out their characters and creating an enticing plot. The film is based on the 2019 documentary film (directed by Richard da Costa and Parkinson) of the same name that details the story of a 2012 saturation diving accident that occurred 330 feet (100 metres) below the North Sea. Diver Chris Lemons’ umbilical cable became trapped and ultimately snapped, leaving him stranded with less than 10 minutes of air left. Lemons ended up surviving for nearly 30 minutes underwater while awaiting rescue, for reasons that still remain unclear to his colleagues and doctors that examined him. 

While the real life story is undoubtedly inspiring, the end result of this narrative retelling of an already compelling documentary doesn’t add enough to be deemed necessary. The script leaves many of these characters being flat and poorly developed. Lemons is portrayed here by Finn Cole (Peaky Blinders, Animal Kingdom) who is doing much of the heavy lifting to make you sympathize with him. A rather great standout acting moment is a close up shot of just Cole’s eyes underwater where Lemons, just recently left behind, is realizing the horror of the situation he is in. His eyes are the main focus of the shot and any viewer can see all of the stages of emotions Lemons is experiencing. The rest of the ensemble unfortunately suffers the same fate of being underwritten and the actors aren’t allowed any opportunities to do more off the page. The only exception aside from Cole is Woody Harrelson, who is excellent as per usual as Duncan Allock, Lemons supervisor and colleague. 

Another praise worthy element are the underwater scenes, shot by Ian Seabrook. Seabrook, having previously shot the underwater sequences for Jungle Cruise, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, is truly in his element here. These scenes are harrowing and a beauty to watch, with darkness consuming the entire screen except for the hint of light coming from the divers’ gear. In the hands of another photographer, brightness would have likely taken away from the film’s realism and diminishing the audience’s chance of feeling any inch of the fear Lemons would have endured. 

Aside from the remarkable underwater shots, the performances of Cole and Harrelson, and getting a different perspective of this true story, audiences would be better off watching the documentary if they are curious to learn more about this real life accident. It doesn’t provide much narratively nor is it a character film by any means. If one is looking for a casual viewing experience to watch with their dad on a Sunday afternoon that will ultimately be forgotten the next day, this Last Breath is that film.

Grade: C-

Oscar Prospects:
Likely: None
Should be Considered: None

Where to Watch: In Theaters