‘Last Breath’ review: Woody Harrelson dives into real-life survival story

Dir: Alex Parkinson. US. 2023. 93mins 

Based on actual events, the straightforward survival thriller Last Breath impresses with its attention to detail — specifically, in how it carefully locates the small, human moments in this life-or-death struggle. Director and co-writer Alex Parkinson, who previously co-directed the 2019 documentary on the same subject, recreates the 2012 incident in which deep-sea divers in the North Sea had to rescue one of their own after an underwater accident. Unfussy performances from Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu and Finn Cole highlight a film that draws on familiar tropes to tell a compelling, surprisingly touching story.

Follows a familiar trajectory — until it doesn’t

Opening on February 28 in the US (via Focus) and March 14 in the UK (Entertainment), Last Breath caters to older audiences looking for an inspirational true-life tale. Those who have seen the documentary, also titled Last Breath, will know the outcome, but even so Parkinson supplies enough suspense to keep viewers absorbed in what may prove to be a middling theatrical performer, but with promising streaming prospects.

Cole plays Chris Lemons, the junior member of a team of saturation divers working in the North Sea just off of Scotland. Alongside the gruff, aloof David Yuasa (Liu) and genial veteran team leader Duncan Allcock (Harrelson), he is assigned to go about 300 feet below the ocean’s surface to execute oil-rig repairs. With Allcock manning the diving bell, Lemons and Yuasa strap on their suits and head out, but a violent storm forces them to abort their mission — with Lemons’ oxygen tether to the bell becoming snagged on the rig. Suddenly, the tether snaps and Lemons is trapped underwater, helplessly relying on his mates to figure out how they can reach him before he runs out of air.

The 2019 documentary incorporated actual footage from the 2012 accident to amplify the drama, and the feature film also aims for authenticity. Regularly, Parkinson cuts to cameras installed in the diving bell and elsewhere to create the feeling that we are not watching a movie but, rather, ’real’ footage of a harrowing ordeal.

That approach extends to the narrative strategy. As Last Breath gets underway, we don’t only meet Lemons but also his worried fiancee Morag (Bobby Rainsbury), instantly establishing the anxiety associated with his job. Additionally, Parkinson shows the audience the dynamics of a saturation diver crew, closely observing as Allcock’s team go through their lengthy preparations. Not unlike a space flight, this work demands expertise, steady nerves and extreme efficiency — and even though we know something will go wrong, we admire these men’s know-how and calm competence.

The deep-sea photography, supervised by underwater DoP Ian Seabrook, captures the gripping tension. As the storm wreaks havoc on the ship on the ocean’s surface, the connected diving bell is yanked far away from the stranded Lemons, who is plunged into virtual darkness. But with the exception of a few melodramatic digressions, Last Breath mostly sticks to an all-business approach, watching as Lemons meticulously puts himself in the best position to be rescued, even as his emergency air reserves drops perilously close to empty. 

The film undeniably features mostly stock characters. Lemons, Allcock and Yuasa easily slot into the predictable roles of The Rookie, The Crusty Elder and The Grump, respectively. (Adding to the cliches, this mission will be Allcock’s last before he is forced into retirement.) But even so, the actors imbue their roles with emotional honesty. Harrelson is especially affecting as Allcock, who cares for his men while trying to forget that he will have to give up this job he loves. Likewise, Liu nicely navigates Yuasa’s expected transformation from stern coworker to someone who lets his vulnerability be seen. 

Echoes of films like Apollo 13 and Touching The Void can be heard as Parkinson chronicles this desperate rescue attempt, aided by Tania Goding’s taut editing. For those who do not already know the story’s ending, let it be said that the film follows a familiar trajectory — until it doesn’t. As a result, the poignant final sequences speak to something larger than simply a tale of survival. Instead, Last Breath honours the constant possibility in work like this that the worst could happen at any moment — and that the line between living and dying is always frighteningly slender.