Director Alex Parkinson‘s “Last Breath” (a feature film remake of his acclaimed 2019 documentary of the same name) attempts to dramatize the harrowing true story of a deep-sea diver’s fight for survival. Instead of delivering a gripping thriller, it sinks under the weight of forced emotion, weak character development, and uninspired storytelling. This is the type of film that will have you questioning why a fictionalized dramatization needed to exist in the first place.
The film tells the incredible true story of Chris Lemons (Finn Cole), a deep sea diver who, after his umbilical cord snapped during a routine saturation dive, left him trapped over 300 feet underwater with only minutes of oxygen left in his backup tank. Miraculously, Lemons survived for more than half an hour on the ocean floor, rescued by his dive mates Duncan Allock (Woody Harrelson) and Dave Yuasa (Simu Liu) who refused to give up on him. There are several scientific theories as to why the man was able to make it out alive, but the film takes the feel-good route of Chris being saved by the power of love. It makes his ordeal feel corny, which is a shame.
This story perhaps could have made for a pulse-pounding survival thriller but instead, it feels painfully long and drawn out, lacking the tension and urgency that the real-life events demand. Despite the film’s attempts to create emotional depth, the relationship between the men feels shallow, underdeveloped, and poorly written. If you aren’t familiar with the true story or haven’t seen the documentary, you may find it difficult to invest in the characters’ struggles. The only reason I understood the relationship between the three men is because I knew the history, and the film itself doesn’t do the work to make you care.
Since the majority of the film is set underwater, the visuals are dark and poorly lit. The murky underwater cinematography fails to create an engaging atmosphere or heightened suspense, making the already slow pacing feel even more lifeless. The film is marketed as an edge-of-your-seat experience, but in reality, it plays out more like a generic made-for-TV movie. While the real-life events are undeniably incredible, this adaptation proves that some stories are better left as documentaries.
Unless you’re a die-hard fan of the original documentary or deep-sea diving dramas, “Last Breath” isn’t worth your time. Stick with the 2019 doc because it tells the story far better than this lackluster fictionalization.
By: Louisa Moore / SCREEN ZEALOTS
