Lamar Reviews - Last Breath (Airdate 3/7/2025)

I do think this is a movie that is best appreciated on the big screen of a theater. It will draw you in and put you on the edge of your seat, literally I spent the last half of the movie sitting on the edge, elbows on my knees, my chin resting in my hands. 

This is a totally true story, and the movie is directed by the same man that made an actual documentary about this story in 2019.

When Chris Lemons, one of the saturation divers, played by Finn Cole, is trying to calm his worried wife, he says “It’s just like being an astronaut in space,” she replies, “Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Really it shouldn’t, because being in space is the only thing that possibly come close to being as dangerous as being over 300 feet underwater.

They are not called “saturation” divers because of being wet in the water, they are called that because the deeper you dive and the longer you stay underwater, the more nitrogen gets dissolved in your blood, so your blood is saturated.

These divers are in the North Sea where there is absolutely no light, and the normal temperature is 39 degrees, and the pressure is 10 times more than the surface.  Their job is to maintain and repair the pipeline. Their lives depend on the 300-foot umbilical hoses that provide heat, air, and communication. This is not a job for the faint of heart.

Woody Harrelson plays Duncan Allock, a former diving partner of Lemons, who recruited Chris for this job. This is Duncan’s last dive mission because the company is retiring him. Dave, played by Simu Liu, is a legendary diver who shows zero emotions, and focuses only on the job. His nickname is Spock.

When things go wrong during a huge storm, Lemons is tragically lost, with minimum oxygen, and left behind until they can get back to him.

The movie is a perfect 93 minutes, Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

Woody Harrelson is perfect as the sarcastic, wisecracking, mentor who loves the guys he works with, and feels responsible for them.

When things go wrong, it is a race against time that the ship and its crew may or may not lose. The big question is, are we watching a rescue mission or a body recovery.

This is a really good movie, that at times is very uncomfortable to watch.

As I said earlier, this is a true story, not based on a true story. They spliced in actual footage from the real boat and real divers in the movie. After the movie, before the credits they have actual footage of all three of the real people in the movie.

I loved this movie.

My Score: 5 ice-cold Budweisers!