In 2012, a team of three saturation divers set to perform repairs on a manifold 300 feet below sea level, suffered an accident. One of them, Chris Lemons (Finn Cole), is separated from the rest of his team and must not only climb to the top of the manifold, using limited sources of light to find his way, but survive with limited oxygen reserves. The action cuts away between Chris’s struggle, running low on air, his two teammates Duncan and David (Woody Harrelson and Simu Liu) and their determination to get him back alive, and the support from the large vessel above sea level who coordinate the rescue effort.
Last Breath is a tense, fact-based thriller that harkens back to a kind of film we don’t see much anymore, embracing practical effects for the sake of realism. Before the incident, as the team of divers acclimate themselves to the depths through a pressurized chamber, we too ready ourselves with them in a series of sets that look real and inhabited. Last Breath wisely avoids flashy camerawork and overt stylistic choices in order to ground itself. We don’t need to suspend our disbelief, because what we’re seeing is a true-to-life reenactment.
For all technical aspects, Last Breath is an expertly made picture. The acting from everyone, particularly the three leads, is excellent. And the filmmaking itself needs to be shouted from the rooftops how incredible it is. Eschewing modern green-screening and CGI effects, the filmmakers instead opted for realism by filming the underwater sequences in large saltwater tanks, which makes a tremendous difference for the viewing audience to physically see the dangers of the depths of the ocean.
If I have a problem with Last Breath, however, and I do, it’s that the documentary-like dedication to capturing the facts of the incident and ensuing rescue comes across as cold and clinical. A documentary about this incident already exists (director Alex Parkinson co-directed the documentary), and a film like this can really only go so far as our involvement with the characters will allow us to go. While all three leads bring their A-game to the film, we never get to know any of them beyond superficial characterization. Last Breath isn’t quite the deep-sea equivalent of Apollo 13 but it is well-made, thrilling and has a few earned moments of pathos when the music swells to a triumphant crescendo.
Last Breath is far from a bad movie. It’s a very good movie. It just falls short of greatness, which is a shame, because it has so much working in its favor: A great story, excellent casting and a dedicated filmmaking technique that allows us, the viewer, to go underwater with them. At the end of the day, the movie is likely going to entertain the hell out of you, it’s just not the classic that it deserves to be.
VIDEO
Last Breath is presented in 1080p high-definition video for this release. While a 4K release with HDR grading would have been nice, I’m not sure the film needs it. It looks great without it. Last Breath has a rough-around-the-edges look to it that I think works well in its favor, which is not to say it looks bad, it simply has an unpolished look that helps enhance its documentary-like realism. There are two directors of photography listed, with Ian Seabrook appropriately responsible for underwater sequences and Nick Remy Matthews responsible for everything else. The underwater sequences are incredible, particularly a scene with Chris lighting his way to the top of a manifold using only an underwater flare to light his way, casting a monochromatic red like the depths of hell.
AUDIO
The 5.1 Dolby TrueHD surround mix on Last Breathdoes an incredible job simulating the claustrophobia of being 300 ft. underwater. Rear speaker activity is constant, yet subtle, with the muffled bubbling of water all around the listener. LFEs are at a near-constant level as the action shifts to the larger vessel above sea level, as waves crash against its hull or through the dull roar of its engine. In one of the film’s best sequences, the sound design shifts suddenly from active noise to total, deafened silence and cuts to black, simulating the isolation and fear that Chris must have felt when he was severed from the rest of his team.
Supplemental features are a little limited, but honestly for a movie that didn’t do great box office, and a brand-new release on disc, you can’t ask for much more. There’s an informative audio commentary from the filmmakers, a making-of featurette and even a gag reel, which is kind of funny considering how tense and serious the film is.
Even if Last Breath falls short of greatness, the skill and craft that went into its production, along with its dedication to realism and excellent performances from its cast, make it a must-see movie at least once. With awesome A/V stats and some fun supplements that dive into its production, even if it’s not something you need to own, I recommend this.
MOVIE ⭐️⭐️⭐️, PICTURE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, SOUND ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, EXTRAS ⭐️⭐️⭐️