The Last Breath

I have a running list of things that I won’t do, not because of a fear of dying while doing them, but because of the way I would die. Just think about it: do you want to be the one who dies while trying to get the perfect selfie on the side of a cliff? That is, of course, on my list, as well as a few other things, but I wouldn’t have diving in a wrecked ship, because I wouldn’t even think to do that. Well, in The Last Breath, that is exactly what they do, but this wrecked ship already has swimmers, and they are very hungry.

For the longest time, Levi (Julian Sands) has been looking for the wreckage of the U.S.S. Charlotte to no avail. Now he is older and can’t dive because of a health condition, so Noah (Jack Parr) does it for him instead. One day, that persistence pays off and Noah finds the Charlotte and even does a little exploring, but he and Levi decide to keep their find under wraps for now. Noah didn’t always live on the island, and some of his friends from New York have come to pay him a visit. That includes his ex, Sam (Kim Spearman), as well as Brett (Alexander Arnold), Logan (Arlo Carter), and Riley (Erin Mullen), who all get to hear the story of the found warship. Brett begs Noah to take him down, and at first, he refuses, but after discovering Levi’s mounting debt, he decides to take them for the right price. The dive starts off well enough, but soon the group finds out they are not alone, as the ship has sharks swimming in its halls. For the sharks, lunch has arrived, but sharks are not the only problem the group is facing, as soon they will also run out of air, meaning time is not on their side as they try to survive.

Written by Andrew Prendergast and Nick Saltrese, The Last Breath answers the question: does adding sharks make anything better? Unfortunately, the answer is no, as there are not enough sharks in the world to save this one, especially not good-looking CGI sharks. The sharks, though, are not the only weak link, as the under-developed characters also add to the disappointment. In a movie where people’s lives are at stake, you want to be able to root for someone; in this case, you could care less for these one-dimensional characters.

The Last Breath runs out of air not long into the movie, and even if there are a few gasps of thrills, it is not enough to keep it interesting. There are some decent aspects, like the performances (even if they don’t have much to work with) and the cinematography, particularly the underwater scenes. While those things help the movie stay afloat, the writing and the pacing start to sink everything else, with the CGI sharks proving to be too much for The Last Breath to swim through. So if you want to watch this for the sharks, be prepared for disappointment, as no new fears will be unlocked in that sense. What The Last Breath can feel good about is that it isn’t the worst shark movie out there, but with that said, there are much better viewing choices available, so swim in these waters at your own risk.