The film Last Breath (2025), directed by Alex Parkinson, plunges audiences into the harrowing world of deep-sea saturation diving, where routine maintenance on underwater gas pipelines can turn into a race for survival. Based on Parkinson’s own 2019 documentary, the movie draws from real events to craft a tension-soaked thriller that showcases both the dangers of the abyss and the resilience of the human spirit.

The story unfolds with Finn Cole as Chris Lemons, a relatively inexperienced diver stationed 300 feet below the surface of the North Sea. Suddenly, a malfunction in the ship’s dynamic positioning system causes their vessel to drift, leading to Lemons’s lifeline—his umbilical cable—snapping. Left stranded with just emergency oxygen and no communication or light, Chris faces his own mortality in complete darkness .

Above the pressure and cold, Woody Harrelson’s Duncan Allcock and Simu Liu’s David Yuasa find themselves racing against time to mount a rescue. With the ship’s crew unable to anchor, they rely on a remote-operated vehicle to locate Chris, while managing to reboot the positioning system to return to the worksite . The rescue unfolds in nail-biting suspense, combining cinematic tension with technical realism inspired by the documentary.

Chris’s survival is nothing short of miraculous. He was reportedly cut off for over 29 minutes—far beyond the limits of human endurance without oxygen—yet he suffers no lasting brain damage. Upon rescue and resuscitation, he regains consciousness, speaks, and ultimately returns to work just weeks later. This extraordinary outcome anchors the film’s emotional weight and thematic core.

Production-wise, Last Breath impresses with its underwater sequences. The cast underwent rigorous saturation diving training, and the film utilized authentic equipment and sets—including retrofitted helmets from DRASS and a suspended diving bell built over a pool—to immerse viewers in the claustrophobic reality of commercial diving. Critics have praised the cinematography for plunging viewers into this world, though some noted the character development remains subdued

Overall, Last Breath delivers a gripping survival drama grounded in real events. It balances documentary-style authenticity with emotionally charged storytelling, celebrating teamwork, determination, and one of the most incredible survival stories of recent times. Whether you’re drawn to human resilience or the perils of high-stakes professions, the film leaves you almost holding your own breath until the final moments