The film Last Breath is based on a real-life underwater catastrophe for deep-sea divers off the shores of Scotland. This is one of those movies that already has a built-in advantage since the story is already there, intact. The challenge for Alex Parkinson, the film’s director, was to figure out how to shape it into something compelling enough for a theatrical audience while staying true to the original events. So, without giving away any spoilers, how does Last Breath handle that challenge?

You can read the review below or watch the video review on YouTube:

This is a heart-pounding film about deep-sea divers battling the elements to rescue their crew mate. It’s in that vein that Last Breath tells a story of teamwork and resilience against the backdrop of a countdown clock for when the rescue would turn into a recovery operation. Based on a true story, it follows a team of saturation divers working on the North Sea pipeline, an essential piece of infrastructure for delivering gas to Scotland.

Duncan Allcock (played by Woody Harrelson), also known as the “SAT Daddy” (short for Saturation Tank Daddy), leads the three-man crew, which includes himself plus Diver 1, Dave Yuasa (played by Simu Liu), and Diver 2, Chris Lemons (played by Finn Cole). When a brutal North Sea storm knocks out their ship’s positioning system, it begins to drift with while the divers are already positioned hundreds of feet below the surface. Their captain, first officer, and the bridge crew work feverishly above water to fix the problem are forced to make some life altering choices. This turns what was a dangerous, but routine dive into a life-or-death crisis as they fight to get their men back to safety.

First Impressions

Immediately, Last Breath gives you a sense of who these men are and why they do this work. They love their jobs, and the film makes sure you feel that connection to their work and to each other before plunging into the conflict. The chemistry among the cast is great. Woody Harrelson and Simu Liu bring a grounded, experienced energy to their roles while Finn Cole, playing Chris (known as Diver 2), feels a bit less experienced as an actor, but in this case, that actually works for his role. His character is newer to the job, and that sense of relative inexperience makes his performance feel more authentic.

One of the strongest aspects of Last Breath is how closely it aligns with the documentary and the real-life events. After I saw the film, I went and watched the documentary because I was curious how dramatized the events actually were in the theatrical release, and I was not only surprised by impressed by how accurate it was to the documentary. Last Breath didn’t need to exaggerate its events or the tension above and below the water because everything happened is already thrilling enough.

A Story for Everyone

One of the things that stood out to me about Last Breath was how well the script was written to engage both audiences who were already familiar with the real-life tragedy and those who had never heard of it before. For those who knew the story, the film builds tension by emphasizing the step-by-step decisions, human factors, and challenges that shaped the outcome. And for newcomers, it carefully lays the groundwork so that each moment of danger lands with full impact. It strikes the right balance, never feeling like it over-explains for those in the know, but also never leaving first-time viewers behind. That’s a tough thing to pull off, and Last Breath does it well.

The Portrayal of Deep-Sea Diving

One of my biggest frustrations with movies set underwater is how often they dumb things down or rely on generic tension. But Last Breath takes the time to explain just enough of what’s happening to make you understand the stakes. The film naturally integrates explanations about saturation diving and why the divers have to spend days acclimating in pressurized tanks before their dives as well as how their umbilical cords work to supply them with life support and why the ship’s thrusters are crucial for maintaining position.

The way they handled the exposition felt like a light touch. They never stopped the story to explain things to the audience, the film lets the characters talk as they normally would which makes the exposition feel seamless. Even if you’ve never heard of a saturation tank before or SAT diving, the film makes sure you understand just enough to grasp why things go so catastrophically wrong when the ship starts to drift during the storm.

The film also does a great job of showing how hard it is to navigate underwater. The disorientation, the darkness, and the struggle to see what’s in front of you all play into the tension. It never feels like the divers have an easy out. Every decision is difficult, and every moment underwater feels like a calculated risk.

Cinematography & Atmosphere

Visually, Last Breath is striking, but not in the usual, overly polished way we often see in underwater films. A lot of underwater movies make everything look too clean, too blue, too perfectly illuminated. But here, the filmmakers understood that real underwater environments are often murky, eerie, and disorienting.

The way light behaves in deep water is captured logically, showing how light bends, gets swallowed by the darkness, or creates a “fog” by reflecting particles stirred by from the seabed. Some moments are almost hypnotic, while others are downright claustrophobic. When things go wrong, you feel how difficult it is to navigate in this space. The disorientation is real, and that adds to the dramatic tension in a way that no made-up sea monster or over-the-top CGI can match.

Truth is Stranger Than Fiction

Now, I’ll admit — there were moments in the film where I thought, “That doesn’t look real. That wouldn’t happen.” But after watching the documentary, I was shocked to see that the things I thought were exaggerated or unrealistic were actually true. That surprised me.

For example, would all of the automatic thrusters really go down at precisely the wrong moment during a horrible storm on the North Sea? Apparently, yes, they can. Murphy’s Law doesn’t care if something like this sounds like a “made for Hollywood” moment.

Also, the international mix of the crew initially felt like a casting checklist with the American guy, the Scottish guy, the Asian guy, etc. But it turns out, that’s actually how it was. These offshore crews are highly diverse because they pull from the best talent worldwide. While the first officer in the film is played by a woman (despite the real first officer being a man), that’s a minor change that still feels true to the spirit of these operations since women do work on these ships, and under these conditions. Plus, she was a fine actor who didn’t overplay her part.

What Doesn’t Work?

If I had to nitpick, maybe the film runs a little long in some spots. There are moments where I wondered if they could have tightened the pacing. But honestly? It didn’t feel too long because it held my attention the entire time. Even if they shaved off 10 minutes, it wouldn’t have changed much. The film stays gripping throughout, and any minor flaws are easily forgiven because of how engaging the overall experience is as a film.

However, I do think it’s worth noting that in the film, Dave gives Chris a command that helped explain to us why Chris made a certain decision. In real life Chris made that decision on his own (and I am trying to avoid spoilers here). I don’t think that substantially changes anything for either of their characters, but it did show to me that the real life Chris was a very smart guy who knew what he was doing down there on the seabed and not just some inexperienced, new diver who gets himself in trouble.

Woody Harrelson’s Performance

I have to give a special mention to Woody Harrelson. When I first saw that he was in the film, I wasn’t sure what to expect since we haven’t seen much from him lately. Was this a late-career comeback? If so, he nails this role as the dive team’s SAT Daddy. He fully embodies the grizzled old diver who has seen it all, training up the younger guys while carrying the weight of responsibility. His performance felt real, like someone who truly understands the stakes of every single dive.

Final Thoughts & Recommendation

If you’re looking for something a little different from the usual big-screen offerings, Last Breath is absolutely worth the ticket price. It’s thrilling, emotional, and genuinely gripping. Whether you know how the real-life story ends or not, the journey to that ending is what makes it compelling. It’s a great film to see with friends, family, or even as a date night pick.

So, Last Breath, have you seen it? Are you familiar with the documentary or the real event? Also, if you have any experience in maritime work or deep-sea diving, I’d love to hear what you think. How realistic did the film feel for you? Were there moments that rang especially true or parts that missed the mark? Let me know in the comments!

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If you’d like to watch the documentary, here via my Amazon Associate link: ** Last Breath — Original Documentary: https://amzn.to/41A6OdR