Review: ‘Last Breath’

Why do we love watching movies about really dangerous work? The kind of jobs that there’s no amount of money that could ever convince you. For me, a deep saturation diver is one of those jobs. For one, I have a terrible fear of deep water. Two, running out of oxygen is like nightmare fuel. But that’s also what makes Last Breath so fascinating, to see the incredible lengths these people go through to do this work that they love and that this world needs. Further, to see the danger they’d put themselves into in order to save the life of a colleague trapped underwater.

Directed with impeccable craft by Alex Parkinson, a feature adaptation of his 2019 documentary, Last Breath is a gripping thriller that will leave you gasping for air. It doesn’t matter if you know next to nothing about what these folks do. Heck, most of us don’t. But you soon get the gist. They bottle themselves up in massive suits and lock themselves into what are affectionately called “tin cans”, submersible vehicles full of pulleys, valves, dials, cranks, it’s practically a maze of steel gadgets designed to keep them safe. Because, as we are alerted to, this is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. There are more than 20,000 miles of oil pipeline under the sea and they occasionally need fixing. We’re also warned that any miscalculation could lead to one of the diverse depressurizing in such a way that their insides will pop like a balloon.

So while the technical aspects are fascinating throughout, the human story is crucially just as captivating. Last Breath has the benefit of being about a true story, one that many remain unaware of its miraculous nature. Finn Cole stars as newish diving recruit Chris Lemons, who leaves his devoted fiance (Bobby Rainsbury) behind for a month-long dive to help repair damaged oil pipeline at the bottom of the North Sea. He’s paired with two guys who couldn’t be more different. Woody Harrelson plays the kindly, patriarchal Duncan Alcock, a jovial 20-year veteran being pushed out by the company. The other is Dave Yuasa, played by Shang-Chi‘s Simu Liu. Dave’s reputation for being incredibly competent and overly serious about the job precedes him. The guy has a stick up his butt a mile wide. While he jokes mildly with Duncan, Dave can’t help but to big brother the heck out of Chris, showing the new guy who’s in charge when they get underwater.

The tension is in the air long before they ever hit the water. The men are constantly surrounded by a tangle of popes and the life-saving “umbilical” cord that keeps them tethered. Parkinson’s documentarian attention to detail is everywhere in explaining the various computer systems, the mix of gasses (called Heliox) that keeps the divers acclimated, and so much more. We’re even taken into the support ship’s bridge where the captain (Cliff Curtis, always good to see him) tries to keep things steady even as the mother of storms hits, causing swells of more than 50 feet…not ideal conditions.

Of course, the worst happens and Chris is left stranded at the bottom of the sea, experiencing oxygen deprivation and extreme cold. The film quickly shifts into a survival thriller. As those up above try to figure out how to mount a rescue operation in such an inhospitable location, we’re given the most stressful front row seat ever to Chris’ ordeal. A countdown clock warns us of the time until his oxygen runs out. The clock becomes more unbearable when it starts counting upwards from his time without air. Literally, every word spoken matters just as much as every decision is life or death. It’s not merely Chris’ life on the line, but all of those who are risking everything to save him. Further, there’s also the risk of a massive environmental disaster if things go badly.

Parkinson switches gears seamlessly, mixing in archival footage when possible and other dizzying camera shots often in the inky darkness of the sea. The most unforgettable piece of footage practically acts as a bookend, showing Chris’ unconscious body laying on the ocean floor, twitching from oxygen deprivation. As a feature narrative debut, it’s an extremely strong showing by Parkinson who weaves between the various players and locations seamlessly without losing any of the film’s edge.

Cole, Harrelson, and Liu do a lot with stock archetypal characters for the survival genre. While frequently loaded up with bulky gear and heavy helmets, we latch on to their simple humanity and friendship in a very short amount of time. There isn’t a lot of it to spare as Last Breath runs for a brisk 90-minutes, and Parkinson makes nearly every second count. It’s only weakest when an overly sweet, romantic epilogue takes precedent over the medical miracle that will have you believing that truly anything is possible.

Focus Features opens Last Breath in theaters on February 28th.