At this point, Alan Parkinson may have a stronger grasp on the events and emotions surrounding a 2012 diving accident in the North Sea than he does on those connected to his own life. Having helmed “Last Breath,” the well-received 2019 documentary that chronicled the accident through archival footage, audio, reconstruction and interviews, Parkinson has returned as the director and co-writer of a dramatization of the ordeal of the same name that surfaces in theaters this week. It is hardly surprising, then, that the new “Last Breath” has a pseudo-documentary feel, the production prioritizing realism and authenticity in the making of the film.
At about an hour and a half, it is on the thinner side, Parkinson and company providing only the slightest bit of backstory for the diver whose life hangs in the balance for the meaty part of the narrative instead of expanding that in the way you imagine so many other writers and directors may have. The filmmakers were most concerned with capturing the drama of the situation. Mission accomplished.
“Last Breath” is a largely gripping affair. Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu and Finn Cole comprise an appealing trio as divers Duncan Allcock, Dave Yuasa and Chris Lemons, respectively. We first meet Cole’s Chris and his fiancee, Morag (Bobby Rainsbury), who’s worried about him taking part in this monthlong job of repairing a pipeline 300 feet below sea level.
He assures her that diving that deep into the water is a lot like going into.
