Thalassophobia, the fear of the bottom of the ocean, a fear that will be easily triggered by the latest thriller based on a true story - Last Breath. Focusing on a career that is absolutely incredible but goes so unnoticed by so many. A group of brave professionals plummet to the bottom of the ocean, despite the conditions of the weather to make sure that the gas lines are still intact and operational. It almost seems like a boring job with a lot of moving parts, until something goes wrong. 

 

Wrong… and that’s where the true story of Chris Lemons, a saturation diver who due to unforeseen circumstances gets trapped 90 meters below the surface. There Chris must try to place himself in the best position to be rescued, aware that his oxygen is running on empty. The film, directed by the documentarian that crafted the 2019 documentary on the subject, is a shockingly haunting experience that sparks both dread and hope from the actions of the team of deep-sea divers racing against the clock. 

 

Finn Cole plays Chris, a newcomer to the team with soon to be retired jokester Duncan, played by Woody Harrelson, and purposefully distant Dave, played by Simu Liu. Woody Harrelson is a stand out here, cranking out the goodwill and charm with every good natured joke. He carries an anchor of dedication to his team, the leader of this particular dive and as the situation progresses, we witness a wide range of sincere emotions coming from the man. Simu Liu is perfectly fine, he is distant as previously mentioned, only bringing up a kid back home and nothing more about his personal life - all business. The only issue with Liu is that he doesn’t bring a draw to his overall performance, leading to believe it could’ve been another in the role. Cole on the other hand as Chris shares a bit about his home life and his partner worrying for the safety of the dives - a fear that is capitalized on due to the events that take place. 

 

While the characterization we are given is minimal, Alex Parkinson creates a world of looming darkness that is set to engulf this human life permanently, and the horror the vast ocean entails is terrifying. Tensions are incredibly high the entire 93 minute experience and it’ll be difficult not to hold your breath for those unsure of how the story plays out. It’s a visually striking film with its simplicity and it nails an emotional nerve that will at the very least come close to having every audience member shed a tear – one of the absolute best of the year.