NBC Insider Exclusive

Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive show news, updates, and more!

Sign Up For Free to View
NBC Insider Last Breath

Last Breath: Everything to Know About Deep-Sea Thriller Starring Woody Harrelson & Simu Liu

Last Breath opens exclusively in theaters Friday, February 28.

By Josh Weiss

Are you ready to take the plunge of a lifetime?

Focus Features — the studio behind acclaimed Oscar contenders Conclave and Nosferatu — is here to facilitate your dive with Last Breath, a deep-sea thriller based on the 2019 documentary of the same name directed by Alex Parkinson and Richard da Costa. The former returns to helm the narrative dramatization about real-life saturation divers (who live in pressurized chambers while working deep below the ocean's surface), which arrives in theaters nationwide at the end of the month (click here for tickets). Parkinson also co-wrote the screenplay with Mitchell LaFortune and producer David Brooks.

“It’s so rare to come across such a gripping story that feels truly original,” Brooks states in the film's official production notes. "The world of saturation diving really hadn’t been explored in a narrative feature before, certainly not at this scale. I was further drawn to the uniqueness of the characters and the intimacy of their dynamics.”  

RELATED: Simu Liu's "That's My Jam" Performance Is So Good It Landed Him a Record Deal

What is Last Breath about?

Last Breath recounts the harrowing, yet ultimately inspiring, true story of saturation divers Duncan Allcock, Dave Yuasa, and Chris Lemons, who showed extreme bravery and selflessness in the face of unthinkable danger. In 2012, the team traveled hundreds of feet below the ocean's surface on a routine expedition when a computer error disrupted their ship and severed Lemons' connection to oxygen, electricity, and communication. With just minutes to spare until Lemons perished, Allcock and Yuasa risked their own lives to save a colleague.

“This is the story I’ve lived with for 10 years now, and I know it inside out,” says Parkinson. “It was such a vast canvas I could paint the story on, much bigger than the documentary.” He later continues: “I felt this responsibility to keep it as true to the reality of what happened as possible. I want these people to be represented properly, because they did an incredible thing on that night."

Who stars in Last Breath?

Last Breath features the acting talents of Woody Harrelson (True Detective) as Duncan Allcock, Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) as Dave Yuasa, and Finn Cole (Peaky Blinders) as Chris Lemons.

“We ended up with the three actors we really wanted, and the chemistry between them was terrific,” explains producer Paul Brooks says. “They all got along fantastically, and I think you can see the chemistry on screen. It feels really authentic.” 

The film was produced by Paul Brooks, David Brooks, Hal Sadoff, Norman Golightly, Jeremy Plager, Stewart le Maréchal, Al Morrow, and Anna Mohr-Pietsch.

Movie poster for Last Breath (2025).

What is Last Breath rated?

Per FilmRatings.com, Last Breath has received a PG-13 designation "for brief strong language."

How can you watch Last Breath?

Last Breath opens exclusively in theaters Friday, February 28. Click here for tickets!