Richard Crouse

SYNOPSIS: “Last Breath,” a new thriller starring Woody Harrelson and Simu Liu, and now playing in theatres, is the true story of deep-sea saturation divers as they attempt to rescue a crew member trapped hundreds of feet beneath the ocean’s surface.

CAST: Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, Finn Cole, Cliff Curtis, Djimon Hounsou, Mark Bonnar. Directed by Alex Parkinson.

REVIEW: A ticking clock survival drama, “Last Breath” juxtaposes tight spaces with the vast openness of the ocean depth to create tension.

The claustrophobia of the submersible is a nightmare for anyone (like me) with a fear of enclosed spaces, but the lonely, seemingly endless enormity of the ocean in the underwater scenes emphasizes the helplessness of feeling being stranded and deepens the movie’s impact.

The film’s atmosphere of danger is its most important asset and is used very effectively by director Alex Parkinson, who co-directed an acclaimed documentary of this same story in 2019.

Given that this is a well-documented story and the ending (NO SPOILERS HERE) is not exactly a surprise, Parkinson wisely mines the extremes in settings for all they are worth. Whether the actors are packed tight or left stranded in the underwater wilderness, Parkinson takes a very specific situation and makes it universal by playing on the audience’s primal fears.

The stars, Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu and Finn Cole, take up much of the on-screen time.

Harrelson is the big-hearted jokester who leads with emotion and instinct. Liu is the stoic technician, who displays grace under pressure while Cole is the newbie, willing to take risks to prove himself. They are disparate characters, bonded by a sense of duty and compassion and the camaraderie between the men, who risk everything for a paycheque, is the film’s second big selling point.

“Last Breath” is a simple story of an extraordinary effort that succeeds because it’s not just about survival or the unusual situation, but because of the heroic, human effort that went into the rescue.