In the filmmaking world, truth is often stranger — and far more gripping — than fiction. The 2019 critically-acclaimed documentary, Last Breath, directed by Alex Parkinson and Richard da Costa, tells the harrowing story of a deep-sea diver trapped on the ocean floor with little remaining oxygen and no hope of rescue. Now, Parkinson has adapted the real-life story into a narrative feature of the same name, injecting an already extraordinary tale with cinematic flair.
The film follows Duncan (Woody Harrelson), Chris (Finn Cole) and Dave (Simu Liu), a crew of saturation divers undertaking a four-week mission to repair pipelines at the bottom of the North Sea. The isolated work requires them to spend weeks in small pressurized environments that allow their bodies to function in the crushing depths of the ocean.
While Chris and Dave work on the ocean floor, a storm strikes, turning their routine operation into a desperate fight for survival. A computer malfunction sets their ship adrift, dragging Dave away, and snapping Chris's oxygen and power cable, trapping him on the bottom of the sea. With Chris's reserve oxygen supply running low, Duncan and Dave scramble to find a way to save their crewmate's life.
Last Breath clocks in at a taut 93 minutes, and if it were any longer it might induce adrenal fatigue in viewers. It's one of the most viscerally intense movies of the year.
Nick Remy Matthews's cinematography vividly immerses viewers in the harsh world of deep-sea diving. The film's sets and costumes have a tactile, lived-in quality, imbuing scenes with a documentary-like authenticity. Matthews masterfully captures the claustrophobic terror of being trapped alone in the crushing oceanic darkness, where murky shadows feel like malevolent forces closing in on the divers.
However, Last Breath's lean script and tight pacing come at the expense of character development. The breakneck pace leaves little room for characters to develop beyond familiar archetypes.
In spite of this, Harrelson, Liu and Cole each deliver convincing performances as rugged and experienced saturation divers. Harrelson gets the meatiest role of the three, bringing his signature world-weary charm as the team's seen-it-all-before veteran. Liu leans on his action-star physicality, playing a no-nonsense professional who takes charge when things go south; Cole's turn as Chris serves as the film's emotional anchor, tethering the action beneath the sea to life at home with his fiancée.
The supporting cast features notable performances from Mark Bonnar and Cliff Curtis as the ship's dive supervisor and captain, respectively. Both add gravitas to limited roles that would fly under the radar in lesser hands.
Although the film does an exceptional job of ratcheting up and maintaining intensity, Parkinson's filmmaking style at times feels rote and formulaic. Parkinson struggles with the smaller beats between the action that lend texture and emotional depth to the story. Some character exchanges render stilted, with expository moments feeling out of place. These issues don't ruin the film, but they're the difference between a good time at the movies and a great one. Still, Parkinson crafts an absorbing tale of survival, thrusting viewers into the razor-thin margin between hope and despair.
Despite its terrifying premise and nerve-wracking execution, Last Breath doesn't do enough to distinguish itself. This white-knuckle journey into the abyss delivers tension in spades, but ultimately lacks depth.