Beneath the Surface: A Review of Last Breath
Last Breath is a suspenseful movie that leaves audiences glued to the screen and gasping for air.
Bethany Hanson ‘28 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
Based on a true story, Alex Parkinson’s Last Breath just released on February 28, 2025. The movie centers around Chris Lemons, a deep sea diver who was stuck hundreds of feet underwater, and the people who have to rescue him.
Spoilers Ahead.
Chris (Finn Cole) left his fiancé Morag (Bobby Rainsbury) to go on a month-long deep sea dive to help restore a pipeline. Unfortunately during this dive, Chris’s diving umbilical cord got snagged on the manacled and snapped. This left him stranded in the ocean with very little oxygen left. His crewmates had to work hard to save him before it was too late. Chris was without oxygen for thirty minutes until his diving partner, Dave (Simu Liu), was able to pull him out. Miraculously, Chris suffered no long-lasting physical or mental injuries. After this harrowing experience, he married Morag and continued his diving career.
Last Breath is a suspenseful movie that leaves audiences glued to the screen and gasping for air. Visually this film was very beautiful. It captured the eeriness of being trapped deep underwater. The film featured camera angles that were from Chris’s point of view, which gave audiences a more immersive viewing experience. The use of sound, or lack thereof, was a compelling aspect as well. The tension was built and fractured in the instance where Chris’s cord snapped. Immediately, the sound went mute. A similar effect was used when they finally retrieved Chris. When his diving helmet gets removed, all background noise ceases while they try to revive him. This builds up the tension leaving audiences at the edge of their seats wondering if Chris will survive.
Deep sea diving is very complex, featuring lots of technology and skills that audiences are not aware of. However, Last Breath does a good job of making those mechanics comprehensible and not confusing. The ending of the movie was especially enjoyable. Chris and Morag were reunited, and the film ended with clips of the real life Chris. It showed Chris and Morag’s wedding, as well as text explaining what Chris did after his accident.
Overall, Last Breath was an incredible action-packed movie with high stakes. It thoroughly surpassed my expectations. The characters are compelling, the cinematography is fantastic, and the sound decisions are amazing. These combined elements made Last Breath a technically solid movie and certainly an entertaining one.