Kimber Myers
There are plenty of thrills in the true-life drama Last Breath. Based on the 2018 documentary of the same name, this adaptation captures the tension of an unbelievable underwater rescue while swells toss a ship on the surface of the North Sea hundreds of feet above the stranded diver. Yet none of the action is as exhilarating as watching a veteran actor who can still surprise you. Woody Harrelson has been on screen for more than 40 years, but he still has the power to astound. Last Breath is a powerful story, well-told in all the ways that matter, but Harrelson’s performance remains the highlight.
The three-time Oscar nominee stars as Duncan Allock, a seasoned deep-sea diver who leads a team of two other men, who live in a bell at the bottom of the North Sea for weeks while they repair oil pipelines. Chris Lemons (Finn Cole) is young, but already shows talent at one of the most dangerous jobs on earth, and his warmth makes him a favorite among the crew of the ship that takes them out to the dive site. Meanwhile, Dave Yuasa (Simu Liu) has earned the nickname “The Vulcan” for his cold approach to the work, seemingly making no friends or connections on the job. While the trio are submerged, a freak accident topside couples with a lack of luck underwater, leaving Chris stuck on the seafloor with just minutes of air left.
Last Breath is the kind of story that feels too wild to be true, the type of movie that would invite endless YouTube videos from idiots about plot holes if its plot were simply drawn from someone’s brain. Yet, this is based on the experiences of these men, and it’s still absolutely wild. Last Breath is a study in tension, making you grateful that it’s just over 90 minutes. Even if you’re in as good of shape as these guys are (which you’re probably not), your heart rate can’t maintain these levels of endurance for much longer than that.
As intense as it is, it’s also an emotional film, with its impact largely delivered by Harrelson’s performance. His character, Duncan, is devoted to his work (which makes my job and nearly everyone else’s in the world look embarrassingly easy in comparison), but he also brings a love for his team, especially his protege, Chris. Duncan’s worry and concern for his crew are palpable; Harrelson really makes you feel every moment of his fear and sadness at the prospect of losing a team member and a friend. He’s the heart of Last Breath, and his work is on par with his best roles in The Messenger and True Detective, while not feeling derivative of something we’ve seen before from him.
By contrast, this isn’t new territory for writer-director Alex Parkinson, who co-directed the 2018 original. The filmmaker brings a documentarian’s approach to this film; he’s invested in all the details of the saturation divers’ work, making it feel more grounded in reality than you often get with this type of movie. Last Breath echoes some of the shots of its predecessor, utilizing diegetic cameras on the bell and other equipment meant to connect the divers with the ship on the surface. While Parkinson doesn’t limit himself to these options, he does use them well, adding a feeling of verisimilitude to the drama. The excellent underwater cinematography by the aptly named Ian Seabrook lends more credence to the events — and will spark terror in anyone with a fear of deep water and all its dark mysteries.
Some elements of Last Breath feel expected, especially Chris’s interactions with his fiancee that tether him to life on the surface. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” he tells Morag (Bobby Rainsbury). We know that he absolutely will not as soon as he utters the words, even if we haven’t watched the trailer or the 2018 documentary because we’ve seen other movies like this before. A few of the beats feel familiar, and those who like stories of rescue and survival will find comfort in this incredibly stressful film.
Yet amidst the story told in a typical way, there’s a sense of wonder at both the miracle of technology and the marvel of human ingenuity in situations that seem beyond all hope. Last Breath isn’t reinventing the wheel, but it is a well-crafted version of the invention, with each element made with thought and care. The finale features the expected coda of the real-life analogs to these characters. Like the movie itself, this is the best possible version of that trope, adding additional humor and heart in its last moments.
B+
“Last Breath” is in theaters this weekend.
