Many films are based on real events because there are a lot of incredible things happen that are worthy of the cinema.  It is like how, when something occurs that is beyond description, we simply say, “I’m not making this up.”  The opening line in Last Breath is the movie equivalent: this is a true story.  Rarely do you get such a concrete declaration.  Producers like to take creative license when they feel elements of the story could use more drama, so they usually modify with “based on . . .”  Yet, what took place on the bottom of the North Sea in September of 2012, as you shall see (either from reading my review or seeing the film), needs no embellishment.  What interests me as a Catholic reviewer regards one of the last lines in the postscript that says that researchers have been unable to provide a definitive explanation to what happened to saturation diver Chris Lemons (Finn Cole).  He should have died.  The film uses the word miracle in passing, but I am not sure what else you could call Chris’ survival.

As Chris is pulling up to the temporary home he shares with his fiancée, Morag (Bobby Rainsbury), he is not thinking of his Last Breath.  She is, though, because he has returned with news that he will be going to sea to work on the pipelines that crisscross the North Sea floor.  His is a dangerous job, and she worries for him as they are trying to build a permanent house and get married.  Before he leaves, he eases her mind with a promise to return to her.  With that, it is off to the Scottish port of Aberdeen to board the ship that will take him to where they will be servicing an underwater platform.  Once onboard, he runs into Duncan Allcock (Woody Harrelson), a veteran diver and a former co-worker in Chris’ short career.  There is little time for chatter as those who will be going underwater are to meet with dive supervisor Craig (Mark Bonnar) to be split into teams of three.  Chris is put in a trio with Duncan and David Yuasa (Simu Liu), an expert diver with a no-nonsense reputation.  Once they are given their assignments, they are put into hyperbaric chambers in order to prepare their bodies for the depths at which they will be exposed.  It is not unlike being cut off from the outside world.  They can communicate, as Chris does with Morag, but they cannot step outside of their pressurized metal tube until the job is done, which can take weeks.  Dave recommends Chris forget about all others because they can be a distraction for a task that requires focus.  The advice is given matter-of-factly, which belies their bumpy trip to their dive site with heavy seas churned up by a storm.  Chris’ unit is called upon first to go down.  Donning their gear, they get into a dive bell that will take them part of the way to the proper depth.  With Duncan monitoring them from the bell, Chris and David step off the underwater platform and drop to the sea bed.  They proceed to the manifold and everything is going in a routine fashion.  The problem occurs with the boat.  The storm knocks out the computer assisted stabilizing functions that keep the vessel in place and allow the workers to labor below without being swung by their lifelines.  When this stops functioning, the ship drifts.  Duncan has barely enough time to warn Chris and David.  They manage to climb to the top of the manifold, but Chris’ line is snagged on the metal structure.  Thankfully, the cable does not pinch any of his body parts since, for a few moments, it is all that keeps the massive boat above from moving too far.  It gives David enough time to explain to Chris what is about to occur and what the younger diver should do.  Once the inevitable happens, Chris is flung down to the sea floor and David is pulled upwards.  Upon coming to, Chris has a little over eight minutes left of oxygen. Meanwhile, topside Craig is frantically thinking of possible solutions.  His first idea, to drop the anchor, is nixed by Captain Andre Jenson (Cliff Curtis), citing the possibility of the metal hook dragging on the bottom, rupturing a pipeline, and causing an ecological disaster.  Instead, Captain Jenson orders that the boat be turned over to manual control, something usually reserved for docking procedures in calm harbor waters.  This curtails movement away from where Chris has settled atop the manifold, now out of oxygen.  David and Duncan also sway helplessly in the diving bell, worrying about their colleague and friend.  The only way of knowing anything about Chris is from their unmanned submarine with a camera mounted on it.  There is an attempt to pick up Chris’ twitching but unresponsive body with the vehicle, but he had hooked himself to the manifold as David had previously ordered.  Instead, it takes the ship’s technology officer, Mike (Josef Altin), rewiring the electronics by hand for there to be a proper rescue.  It is David that goes down to retrieve Chris, fastening his co-worker to himself and pulling both of them back up his umbilical.  After nearly a half hour without oxygen, Chris is back inside the bell.  Duncan immediately begins giving Chris rescues breaths, which seems to initially do nothing.  After a few attempts, there is breathing, but no movement.  Another couple of minutes pass and Chris is again talking.  From there, it is a slow ascent to the ship and a few days of decompression.  Morag is surprised by a call from Chris telling her that he will be home soon.  Upon getting there, he cannot hide the accident for long, but he holds her reassuringly, saying he had promised to return.

As the end credits roll in Last Breath, there is footage of Chris and Morag’s wedding, which underscores why he had made that promise.  One cannot blame him for such a declaration.  At the same time, I understand David’s point of view in not wanting any distractions in such a danger filled environment.  Because of his attitude, I figured he was going to turn out to be an antagonist.  In my time studying and writing about films as a Catholic, characters that take such clear stances have usually been treated as bad guys.  That he does not fill such a role is a testament to the film’s quality, particularly since that appears to match with real life events.  By the end, he has a sense camaraderie with Chris, of community, something to which Catholics are called to amongst each other.  At the same time, there are times when we need to be separated from others in some manner, focusing on the ultimate goal of God in Heaven.  Some do this by living in a cloistered monastery.  For non-religious, there are retreats.  What I am speaking about broadly are archetypes, though one could call them stereotypes.  Catholicism agrees to a degree with Hollywood for not casting loners in a good light, while also acknowledging the truth that sometimes that is what a person needs to do.

Another occasional necessity we are confronted with is the literal need for people to give their Last Breath for a greater cause.  It may appear obvious when doing a job that requires highly specialized training to be performed on the ocean’s bottom, a place in which humans are not designed to dwell in without the right machines.  The film gives this a higher purpose when it talks about how if they are not successful in their task, there will be a lot of cold homes in the British Isles this winter.  Making such an addition elevates the reason for putting oneself in harm’s way.  They are serving a greater good, just like many Christian martyrs have done throughout the centuries.  This also begs the question as to whether someone would risk their life if so many people were not depending on that person?  There are those daredevils among us who perform death defying feats solely for the thrill.  I cannot say I am immune to such stunts, having twice gone sky diving.  One should be thankful for the grace to walk away from such moments of lapsed judgment.  Yet, we should be even more grateful for people like Chris who do so because there is a higher purpose.  I do not wish to suggest there are degrees of God’s graces.  He looks at everyone the same, willing to bestow His blessings equally.  Either way, join me in praying for the selfless ones a little extra.

A little extra is not what you are getting with this review of Last Breath.  It is not a bad movie, but neither is it long.  This makes sense since the climactic moment takes place over the course of about forty-five minutes, probably less.  If you are interested, there is a 2019 documentary of the same name, which will give you the truest depiction of this incredible story.  Either one is worth your time.