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This week, The Tryon Theatre presents “Last Breath” (2025), a narrativized adaptation of actual events, specifically the daring rescue of a professional diver stranded beneath the surface. This film shares its title with a documentary film that covers the same story, as well as having the same director, Alex Parkinson. This fictionalized retelling of the rescue operation is highly faithful to the source, giving great attention to the details of the highly specialized world of career deep-sea diving. The narrative format of course fabricates certain conversations to engineer its emotional stakes, but the process of the brave rescue mission is deeply grounded.

“Last Breath” functions as a thriller, generating great tension for the viewer as the characters race against the proverbial clock, with the life of their compatriot ever more at risk with each passing second. To maintain this tension, the film maintains a tight and efficient runtime, telling a lean and compelling story. Dragging out the looming question of survival is emotionally exhausting for the viewer. In “Last Breath,” the conflict is between humanity and the odds, rather than humanity and a villain. There are no ethical implications, simply sharply engineered entertainment. This lightens the edges of an intense story.

At its simplest, “Last Breath” follows a tight cast of characters, all professionals on a vessel in the North Sea, working on repairing deep set oil lines. The story focuses on a trio of divers, two veterans and a rookie, the latter of which has become separated from his tether and risks being lost to the inky black of the ocean floor. Subsequently, his team members exhaust all their expertise and ingenuity in staging a daring rescue. Woody Harrelson leads this cast as the seasoned dive leader, bringing his tremendous talent for authenticity to the film. The rest of the cast do an excellent job of endearing their briefly introduced characters to the audience, successfully building to the emotional payoff the film. 

This film is generally suitable for all audiences, with some mild language used in the context of the rescue mission’s urgency. Admittedly, the tension of the simultaneously claustrophobic and vast sea pressing down upon each scene will tighten some chests. Still, the film’s pace and happy resolution prevent any such nervousness from becoming oppressive. “Last Breath” is a well-made film, and it is laudably effective in generating filmic thrills. We hope you will join us soon for all the briny fun and fright of “Last Breath!”