Woody Harrelson Stars in Tense Survival Thriller ‘Last Breath’

ABERDEEN, Scotland – The gripping survival thriller ‘Last Breath,’ directed by Alex Parkinson, hits theaters on February 28, presenting a chilling adaptation of a real-life saturation diving disaster that left diver Chris Lemons fighting for his life beneath the North Sea.

Starring Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, and Finn Cole, the film follows Lemons during a routine repair of undersea pipelines essential for heating homes in Scotland. Set in 2012, a sudden storm causes a catastrophic failure when Lemons becomes unmoored from his ship, leaving him stranded in pitch darkness with limited oxygen. The film explores the extreme dangers saturation divers face as they descend to depths exceeding 1,000 feet.

The tension escalates as Lemons, portrayed by Cole, finds himself alone at the ocean floor. Harrelson plays Duncan Allcock, the seasoned diver managing the team from the safety of their bell, while Liu takes on the role of David Yuasa, the skilled rescuer determined to bring his colleague back to the surface despite the overwhelming odds.

“It’s like going into space, but underwater,” Lemons reassures his fiancé Morag, played by Bobby Rainsbury, highlighting the existential risks involved in saturation diving. The film juxtaposes their heartfelt moments on land with the intense, harrowing reality of deep-sea work.

Parkinson, also the co-writer, employs a steady hand to draw viewers into the mechanics of saturation diving, revealing the peculiar processes and equipment involved. The film showcases the preparation that divers undergo, including immersive acclimatization procedures utilizing a gas mixture known as ‘heliox’ to help combat the pressures experienced at such depths.

With the clock ticking and Lemons’ oxygen supply rapidly dwindling, the film artfully shifts between the diver, the support vessel, and the bell, creating a palpable sense of urgency. “It’s a race against time,” Parkinson noted during a recent interview. The chaotic scenes inside the vessel and the dark, murky depths of the ocean are crafted with a scientific accuracy that underscores the true story’s intricacies.

Even before the dramatic incident unfolds, ‘Last Breath’ immerses audiences in the details of saturation diving, from the elaborate equipment to the immersive challenges of navigating the ocean floor. The cinematography captures both the beauty and terror of the underwater world, with viewers left on the edge of their seats as they witness the efforts to rescue Lemons.

‘Last Breath’ does not merely depict danger; it reveals the emotional and physical toll on those who risk their lives for the sake of survival. While some may find the film follows familiar tropes within the disaster genre, the performances of Harrelson, Liu, and Cole bring depth and authenticity to their roles.

As the story unfolds, the film immerses viewers in a visceral experience of fear and endurance, illustrating humanity’s relentless drive to confront life-threatening challenges. Ultimately, ‘Last Breath’ encapsulates the extraordinary lengths to which individuals will go to save one another, reminding audiences that in extreme situations, humanity shines brightest.