In Last Breath, a survival drama based on true events, Chris Lemons (Finn Cole), an experienced deep-sea diver, becomes stranded at the bottom of the freezing North Sea after his umbilical cord snaps during a routine repair mission. With no oxygen, light, or communication, his survival seems impossible.

Last Breath Review

Movies based on the tales of real-life events have been a part of the American film industry since before movies had sound. Whether they tell of a failed mission to the moon or a busted hooker taking out her childhood trauma on unsuspecting Johns, some of the most incredible cinematic experiences of all time can be attributed to the visceral, nail-biting thrills visited upon audiences as they soak in the unbelievable depravities or world-altering achievements of man.

However, the events, no matter how unbelievable, are never enough to engage the audience on their own. What good is it to know that Jim, Fred, and Jack are about to run out of breathable air if Mission Control can’t devise a way to make carbon dioxide filters out of duct tape and toilet paper if we don’t first care about Jim, Fred, and Jack?

Apollo 13 not only masterfully captured the tension of the ill-fated adventure’s events but also invested viewers in the well-being of all those involved: the flight crew, their families, and those in Mission Control. Each group had its moments to shine, and the film was aided by a smart and economical script. Conversely, Last Breath director Alex Parkinson has a tendency to rush through his movie’s emotional beats. At the same time, the script only gives the audience the most perfunctory of character depth or reasons to care about the crew’s fate.

Anyone who has spent any time on stage or in front of the camera can tell you that few things challenge (in a bad way) an actor more than awkward, unnatural dialogue. While Last Breath doesn’t burden the performers with that, the tepid script lacks the depth and the director the skill to draw the crucial emotional honesty needed from the stars to give the viewers the almost tactile connection intrinsic to all of the best cinema.

Of course, only the uninitiated would expect a film based on a true story to adhere to the facts of the event with 100% accuracy. Rather, most are willing to accept that a little flare and some judiciously applied artistic license can make a crucial difference in conveying the narrative’s raison d’etre. Regrettably, the writers of Last Breath seem to have been at a loss as to how to cinematically stretch out an event that took up less than an hour in real life and fill the story with passion. Instead, it gives us a direct narrative that is overly reliant on the harrowing nature of real-life events to do most of the heavy lifting.

Having said that, more than one filmmaker has gone too far in the other direction, bloating runtimes with needless subplots and uninteresting or irrelevant character arcs. One needs only think back to 2000’s overlong The Perfect Storm (2h 12m), which flooded its narrative gaps with sap and saccharine mythologizing rather than humanizing its protagonists.

Those in The Last Breath, including silver-screen veteran Woody Harrelson, give a mixed-bag performance. Harrelson easily manages the film’s sparse moments of camaraderie but seems disconnected from the more emotional moments. Simu Liu, whose intentionally emotionless character is called “The Vulcan” (invoking the stoic Mr. Spock from Star Trek). However, unlike Spock, who could convey complex feelings with the raise of an eyebrow, Liu’s Dave comes across as though he’s more likely on the spectrum than a hyper-focused professional, with the latter of which ostensibly being what they were going for.

Although Last Breath is more The Perfect Storm than Apollo 13 in overall quality, it manages its thrills. There are moments in which Parkinson shows hints of a burgeoning visual style that, given the time and opportunity, may blossom. He does a reasonably decent job of relaying the claustrophobic isolation of one of the most dangerous jobs on Earth, as well as the anxiety of those waiting and watching on the sidelines as events unfold.

By sticking to the basics, keeping the runtime lean, and pacing even and free of distractions, the film doesn’t give the audience much time for their minds to wander or to nitpick its shortcomings.

There’s not much else in theaters right now. Zachary Levi’s Unbreakable Boy looks touching, and Levi’s recent bravery in risking his career to endorse President Trump might be worth the price of admission on its own because Captain America: Brave New World certainly isn’t.

WOKE REPORT

No Proof

• I doubt that the real First Officer was a woman, and I suspect that Myana Burring was cast for optics over accuracy. However, I have no proof and am only relying on my gut and years of watching movies. So, between her not having much to do in the film other than exist and said lack of proof, I didn’t mark the Woke-O-Meter down.
  • Who knows, perhaps in 2012, Scottish underwater pipeline repair ships staffed women in high-ranking positions for month-long trips to sea surrounded by dozens of roughnecks and sailors.