Last Breath (2025)★ 6.9/10

It's a documentary based on true events, one of the best I've ever seen, you won't regret it.

There’s an almost mythic quality to the story, and the performances elevate the material. With more attention to production detail and character development, it could have been truly great. Still, the underwater scenes do capture a harrowing sense of isolation and helplessness at the ocean’s depths.

Though the plot is quite thin—disaster, rescue, and recovery all wrapped in under an hour—it somehow avoids feeling tedious. The film’s emotional punches are delivered with simplicity and sincerity, especially during the character’s sudden revival, which is rendered with raw intimacy. Combined with reminders that it’s based on true events, it leaves you with genuine reverence for the fragility of life.

The storytelling is straightforward, offering a predictable yet tense middle act. What ultimately resonates most isn’t the film itself but the real-life events behind it. The closing three minutes, featuring actual footage, deliver the most powerful emotional punch. The fact that someone survived thirty minutes of oxygen deprivation without irreversible brain damage is extraordinary—but the film struggles to translate this into compelling cinematic storytelling. The director never quite finds the right visual approach to do the story justice.

The film delves into deep-sea rescue, using survival as a lens to examine human fragility and resilience in extreme conditions. The countdown-driven narrative structure effectively heightens tension, with the looming timer serving as a constant reminder of the protagonists’ race against time. From the moment the diving mission takes a disastrous turn, the film sustains a gripping sense of urgency.

Back in 2019, director Alex Parkinson made a documentary about a deep-sea accident that happened in 2012, called LAST BREATH. He now has directed a feature film remake of that same accident, using the same name. It features “one of the most dangerous jobs on Earth”, saturation divers who maintain undersea gas lines in the North Sea. The story revolves around a diving team as they begin a routine task: the salty Duncan (Woody Harrelson), the cold but focused David (Simu Liu), and the learning sponge Chris (Finn Cole). After an accident, one of them is left stranded with minutes of air left. It now comes down to a rescue or a recovery mission. I appreciated how the movie goes through the detailed process of the job. I also appreciated how Parkinson wasn’t tempted to add things to make it a more entertaining movie, it would’ve felt inauthentic if he threw a random shark in the mix (unless it actually happened). I loved how realistic the lighting was on the seabed. It was dark AF, making you feel properly anxious and claustrophobic. The best parts of this movie are the moments of extreme tension. As the diver is losing air, you realize you also stopped breathing. LAST BREATH is a well-executed thriller that feels like a very “dad movie”, if that makes sense. It has great acting and somewhat corny writing, but a had a great time. Remember, don’t forget to breathe. It’s a privilege.

Es impresionante está película y la me senté a verla y estube analizando de que estos tres hombres metidos en una cápsula y que los trasladaron a lo más profundo del agua y que también tuvieron una accidente abajo cuando ellos supervisaban el espacio acuático

Me gusta mucho

Hay una cualidad casi mítica en la historia, y las actuaciones elevan el material. Con más atención al detalle de producción y desarrollo de personajes, podría haber sido realmente grandiosa. Aun así, las escenas bajo el agua capturan un sobrecogedor sentimiento de aislamiento e impotencia en las profundidades del océano.

Há uma qualidade quase mítica na história, e as atuações elevam o material. Com mais atenção aos detalhes da produção e ao desenvolvimento dos personagens, o filme poderia ter sido realmente excelente. Ainda assim, as cenas subaquáticas capturam uma sensação angustiante de isolamento e desamparo nas profundezas do oceano.

Aunque la trama es bastante simple—desastre, rescate y recuperación en menos de una hora—de alguna manera evita volverse tediosa. Los golpes emocionales de la película se entregan con simplicidad y sinceridad, especialmente durante el repentino renacimiento del personaje, que se muestra con una intimidad cruda. Al recordarnos que está basada en hechos reales, deja una genuina reverencia por la fragilidad de la vida.

Embora o enredo seja bastante tênue — desastre, resgate e recuperação, tudo em menos de uma hora —, ele evita, de alguma forma, ser entediante. Os golpes emocionais do filme são desferidos com simplicidade e sinceridade, especialmente durante o súbito renascimento do personagem, que é apresentado com uma intimidade crua. Combinado com os lembretes de que é baseado em fatos reais, o filme deixa você com uma reverência genuína pela fragilidade da vida.