LAST BREATH is a 2025 survival thriller film directed by Alex Parkinson and written by Mitchell LaFortune, Parkinson, and David Brooks. It is a feature film remake of the 2019 documentary of the same name that Parkinson co-directed with Richard da Costa.
A true story that follows seasoned deep-sea divers as they battle the raging elements to rescue their crew mate trapped hundreds of feet below the ocean's surface.
The cast includes Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, Finn Cole, Cliff Curtis, Bobby Rainsbury, and Mark Bonnar.
LAST BREATH made its debut in theaters February 28th, courtesy of Focus Features.
If I’m being honest, when the first trailer released for LAST BREATH, I really thought that it was going to be just one of those bottom of the barrel movies cashing in on the acting cred of someone like Woody Harrelson. But boy was I wrong. I went in pretty much blind, not knowing anything about the true story the film is based on, and I’m glad I did.
This was one heck of an experience and a movie that I won’t soon forget. The entire story in itself is just absolutely crazy, and it is just one of those stories that needed to be told. The cast is spectacular, the screenplay was essentially flawless, and the production design was just perfect from top to bottom. Every moment of action felt raw and very real, and all of the underwater shots were incredible making for a very immersive experience. Every single person that worked on this film deserves a ton of credit for carefully crafting an experience well worth the price of admission.
The cast was just on another level with some of the best on-screen chemistry I have experienced in quite some time. The casting department deserves a ton of credit for putting together a talented group of actors that do not miss a beat. Finn Cole plays Chris Lemons who is the diver the story is based on. Cole is an up-and-coming actor who is incredible in the drama series Animal Kingdom, and it was great to see him deliver like he did in a feature-film. He was just perfect in this role as he came across as someone that is very easy to root for.
Starring alongside Cole is one of my all-time favorite actors in Woody Harrelson, and no surprise that he is amazing as always. Harrelson plays Duncan Allock, the 20-year veteran who took Lemons under his wing. It was just pure joy to witness the connection between Cole and Harrelson as the two truly immersed themselves in their characters. Simu Liu was fantastic as well as he played Dave Yuasa, a veteran diver who was a bit more mysterious. The entire cast was stellar from top to bottom, with notable performances from Bobby Rainsbury, Cliff Curtis, Mark Bonnar, MyAnna Buring, and Josef Altin.
The screenplay is an absolute homerun, and I’m not talking about just barely clearing the fence, this is a 500ft bomb into the nosebleeds. LAST BREATH somehow finds a way to get viewers to emotionally connect with the characters in a very short amount of time considering the film clocks in at just over an hour and a half. I found myself genuinely caring for these characters, particularly Chris Lemons, the primary focus of the film played by Finn Cole.
The film opens by giving us a glimpse into the life Lemons is building with his fiancée Morag, played by Bobby Rainsbury, and I just felt this overwhelming sense of compassion for this beautiful young romance blossoming right before my eyes. I also felt a connection to Lemons, someone who was determined and passionate about his admittedly dangerous choice of career, but he also had a strong understanding of his obligation to those who cared for him. I don’t think LAST BREATH hits as hard as it does without the emotional connection to these characters, and boy does it make for a very special cinematic experience. The sheer intensity of some of the moments in the film are honestly hard to explain, and you just really need to experience them for yourself.
THE VERDICT
An exhilarating and gut-wrenching story of incredible perseverance, LAST BREATH is an equally compelling and intense thriller based on true events that will have you on the edge of your seat right until the final seconds. This movie honestly blew me away and is easily my favorite theater experience of the year so far. From the amazing performances to the hard-hitting story, everything just came together to make for must-see cinema. LAST BREATH needs to be experienced on the big-screen so be sure to make it over to the theater sooner than later. I honestly can’t wait to see it again, just be sure to have a few tissues handy.
TED TAKES RATING - 9.2/10
LAST BREATH is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.