Last Breath is a 2025 survival film based on true events, directed by Alex Parkinson and written by Parkinson, Mitchell LaFortune, and David Brooks. The film is a feature remake of the 2019 documentary by the same title, following a group of deep-sea divers as they race against time to rescue a stranded teammate after a tragic accident.
The film was first released in Greece and the Netherlands on February 27, 2025, followed by its release in the United States on February 28, 2025. It became available for streaming on Peacock on April 25, 2025.
The film is based on a real-life diving accident that occurred in 2012 in the North Sea. Finn Cole plays a saturation diver who, during a routine dive to repair an oil rig, experiences a system failure on the vessel, causing the diving bell to be pulled away from the ship. In the chaos, Cole’s umbilical cable is severed, leaving him stranded on the seabed at the bottom of the North Sea for nearly 40 minutes, with only five minutes of breathable gas left in his emergency tank. A race against time ensues as his teammates scramble to save him.
I really appreciated how the movie was told. From the outset, the opening scenes introduces us in the world of saturation diving, one of the most dangerous and isolating professions in the world. We’re introduced to the main characters: Chris (Finn Cole) and his fellow divers, veteran Duncan Allcock (Woody Harrelson) and Dave Yuasa (Simu Liu). These divers spend weeks and at times, months, living aboard a ship in a pressurized, tin-can-like chamber, designed to help their bodies acclimate to the extreme conditions they face while repairing oil rigs and gas pipelines at the bottom of the ocean. The team consists of three divers on shift: two descend into the water in a diving bell attached to the support vessel, while the third remains inside the bell to ensure their safety. The submerged divers are tethered to the bell by “umbilical” cords, which provide essential life support functions, breathing gas, communication, power, and heated water, that allow them to spend long hours in the depths.
Lastly, this is a fantastic feature film remake and, quite frankly, an eye-opener about some of the most dangerous and unglamorous jobs many of us have never heard of. The movie feels authentic, staying true to the factual events. The cinematography especially how realistic the lighting was, which was incredibly dark and restricted were captured beautifully. Furthermore, the intensity and occasional tension throughout kept me on the edge of my seat, leaving me breathless. It’s a truly incredible story of survival, the human psyche, emotion, and the relentless will to never give up.
A remarkable story that closely aligns with the documentary.
