Last Breath tells the true story of a saturation diver who found himself stuck 330 feet deep in the North Sea, with only five minutes of air left in his tank. Often called saturation (SAT) divers, they are professional divers who work underwater for an extended period of time to keep offshore oil rigs and various structures in good shape. There’s already a documentary of the same name and by the same director, Alex Parkinson, which I haven’t seen yet. Not knowing much about the actual event enhances the element of surprise.

The film opens with an expansive drone shot of the lush greenery of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where Chris Lemons (Finn Cole) lives with his fiancee, Morag (Bobby Rainsbury). He’s getting ready for his upcoming job as a SAT diver. He said that his work is like exploring space but underwater. He’s spot-on because both places have intense pressure, require special gear to keep you safe, and involve exploring an alien landscape.

We’re then introduced to Chris’ teammates, veteran diver Duncan Allock (Woody Harrelson) and Dave Yuasa (Simu Liu), and the three will share the submersible for the duration of the shift, which can last up to 28 days. Duncan is immediately warm and friendly, while Dave is a bit guarded; naturally, you deal with all kinds of personalities at the workplace. It’s a reasonably good set-up of a deeply human story, getting to know the characters briefly before we’re thrown into a gripping survival tale. 

Parkinson uses his skills as a documentarian to capture the intricate details of saturation diving and the elaborate diving equipment. We get a glimpse of the pressurized chamber within a larger ship equipped with bunk beds and a small sitting area. The chamber looks awfully bigger than I expected; someone petite like me, under 5’3”, could easily stand on tiptoe and stretch my arms up.

The mission took place during a wild storm, with massive waves making the boats sway like crazy. I couldn’t help but wonder why they didn’t hold off on sending the divers in, but I guess there were good reasons for it. So Chris and Dave went in while Duncan stayed in the chamber. Even when nothing goes wrong at all, the journey into the chilling, dark waters is quite ominous.

Parkinson really highlights the perilous situations that each SAT diver has to face while performing their underwater missions. But of course, things did go wrong, or there’d be no movie. The ship that the divers are attached to relies on a dynamic positioning system (DP) to keep the ship steady when anchoring isn’t feasible. Unfortunately, the DP malfunctioned during the storm, forcing the divers to halt their work as the ship started drifting. That’s when Chris’s umbilical cable got caught and broke, leaving him trapped 330 feet underwater, with just five minutes of air remaining in his tank.

The intense underwater experience had me holding my breath while I watched. The on-screen text shows how much oxygen Chris has left in his tank and how long he’s been without it. It really ramps up the suspense since the other two divers can’t get to him while the ship keeps drifting. Meanwhile, there’s also some drama unfolding inside the ship as the crew tries to stabilize and prevent it from drifting even more. Some of the scenarios come off as pretty standard but engaging enough and driven by real emotion to keep the human element afloat. Parkinson takes a straightforward approach to directing, avoiding any unnecessary embellishments, which helps keep the film’s length nice and short at just over 90 minutes.

The amazing story takes center stage, so I didn’t really expect the cast to blow me away. Cole does a solid job as the emotional core of the film, making you genuinely invested in his journey. On the other hand, Liu feels a bit rigid in his role, while Harrelson manages to deliver an emotional performance when it counts. I always enjoy seeing character actor Cliff Curtis, even if he doesn’t have much to do as the ship’s captain; it’s just great to spot him in any film.

This movie features actual footage from the 2012 event, which makes me marvel even more at how Chris managed to survive without oxygen for more than a half hour without any lasting physical and psychological damage. Now I’m curious to check out the documentary, which probably gives a more in-depth look with the team members sharing their own experiences. That said, this was an intense survival story and an amazing race against time that really showcases the strength of the human spirit.

Have you seen LAST BREATH? What do you think?

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