What is more detrimental? Limits on oxygen levels? Sharks? Two sharks or more? The Last Breath brings terror to the depth where survival is critical. The film is directed by Joachim Hedén is known in his directing to depict perilous diving expeditions. With his recent project, The Dive (released in 2023), he introduces new aspects of fear.

The discovery of a historic finding is what makes The Last Breath unique. With the center of the action taking place arounda WWII battleship, there are many paths to choose or opportunities to become direction-turned. The Last Breath has that expedition factor of hitting unexpected blocks when exploring the unexplored. When the divers go below, the views of the water and the battleship are stunning, however it is the writing that conveys that this is not a friendly environment for a new adventure.

The film introduces us to Levi (played by Julian Sands) and Noah (played by Jack Parr). They both are divers and recruit a group of friends to go on a diving trip. The exhibit is the sunkenU.S.S. Charlotte. The other friends are Brett (played by Alexander Arnold), Logan (played by Arlo Carter), Sam (played by Kim Spearman), Riley (played by Erin Mullen), and Brian (played by Maxime Durand). This diving trip is an extraordinary one for the group. Once they enter the ship, there are many spaces and places to explore. That is until white sharks swim rapidly in and around everyone. As the title hints, having the ability to breathe is the key to making it out alive in The Last Breath.

The sense of trepidation and dread is felt with the limitations of oxygen. Noah reminds the gang frequently about their percentage levels in the oxygen tanks. That had me thinking back and forth about the chances of survival with the gang. Time, stress, and breathing intensity decrease the viability of the oxygen tanks. The usage of resources hitting their plateaus sold me on this gripping storyline with The Last Breath. I asked myself questions. Who is likely to have more air? Who is to think logistically for safety? Who has a chance of making it out with resources hitting limitations? There are also ones about sharks. How can the divers think clearly when  sharks are squirming everywhere? What are the weaknesses of sharks? A WWII battleship becomes the scene of an underwater survival match of sharks and minnows in The Last Breath.

The sense of going deeper creates dangerous possibilities in The Last Breath. The presentation of water is in cinematic mode. The lighting (before and during the peril) immerses its audience in the feeling of being in the trenches with the divers. It leaves the viewer with no limits on thinking and if there is a point-of-return or not for these men.  The vibe of scarcity is pervasive and engaging.

There are components around safe diving in The Last Breath that hold a place of importance. The divers stick together to ensure safety to prevent injuries or death. Many dive films care about finding a terror trap and have their divers fall right into it. The Last Breath does not do that. The difference is The Last Breath provides angles to create a thinking pattern within the suspense for its audience. Predictability finds itself blurred in The Last Breath. It is a direction of peril with many moving parts in the sense of Tetris. Three out of four stars.