Last Breath

In 2019, Alex Parkinson told one of the most miraculous survival stories in recent years with the documentary Last Breath. Six years later, he returns to dramatize the same event, once again reinforcing human resilience, but with far more mixed results.

The film recounts the harrowing 2012 North Sea diving accident that left Chris Lemons stranded 100 meters underwater after a catastrophic computer failure severed his umbilical cord. This tube supplied his oxygen, heat, and communication. With only minutes of breathable gas, his survival seemed impossible. Given the documentary’s success and the story’s natural tension, Parkinson had the perfect setup for a gripping disaster thriller. Instead, the dramatization feels oddly indifferent to the stakes.

To his credit, Parkinson brings a deep knowledge of the material, and the film’s production design is impressively grounded in reality. Everything, from the sets to the diving suits, feels meticulously accurate, reinforcing an almost documentary-like authenticity. One notable change from real life is the divers’ voices; in reality, they would have been distorted by the helium in their breathing gas, but that was understandably altered for clarity. Yet, while Last Breath strives for realism, it fails to deliver the most crucial element of a disaster film: urgency. Whether based on real events or not, survival dramas like Apollo 13, Thirteen Lives, and Society of the Snow succeed because they make the audience feel the impossible odds their characters face. Parkinson, unfortunately, never quite manages that.

Despite a man’s life hanging by a thread, the film rarely conveys the sense of people pushing beyond their limits, there’s little urgency in their actions. Instead of dynamically cutting between frantic rescue efforts, the movie moves in a sluggish, episodic fashion, treating each obstacle in isolation. Worse, those obstacles often amount to little more than pushing buttons or flipping switches (the only engaging sequence involves controlling a drone). The result is a rescue mission that feels passive rather than desperate. With many sequences unfolding in the slow, weightless environment of the deep sea, the film’s pacing drags even further.

The performances don’t do much to elevate the film. Woody Harrelson delivers what’s expected but is stuck with tired clichés about this being “his last mission.” His character arc has little impact on the film, and a monologue he delivers midway through struggles to leave an impression. Simu Liu, playing Dave Yuasa, is more directly involved in the rescue, but his portrayal of an introspective, quiet character comes across as more detached than intensely focused, missing the depth needed to make his role compelling. As the protagonist, Finn Cole fares better, bringing warmth to early scenes with his fiancée, which helps make Lemons sympathetic enough to root for.

A few moments do stand out, most notably, the drone’s discovery of Lemons, a shot that replicates real footage from the true event. Parkinson knows this is his strongest image and even previews it at the start of the film. The umbilical cord snapping sequence is also well-executed, briefly capturing the silent terror of Gravity. But beyond that, Last Breath follows the disaster-movie playbook in a workmanlike manner, never quite building the tension it needs to be truly gripping. When the credits roll and reveal the astonishing real-life details, it’s hard not to wish the film had captured more of that sense of awe and urgency.

Directing a documentary isn’t the same as directing a narrative film, something Parkinson learns the hard way. You won’t be holding your breath for this one.