By Becca Johnson July 15, 2024
Shark flicks are a regular occurrence, but are particularly popular during the summer months when audiences are looking to immerse themselves into sun, sea and… well, sharks. The newest addition to the ever-growing sub-genre is The Last Breath, directed by Joachim Hedén (Breaking Surface) and starring Kim Spearman (Jupiter Ascending), Jack Parr (One Shot) and Alexander Arnold (Skins). It follows a simple and familiar premise of a group of friends getting trapped underwater and surrounded by deadly great white sharks. The Last Breath does exactly what it says on the tin, providing 95 minutes of claustrophobia, depleting oxygen and looming dread, delivered by a decent cast. However, its use of sharks leaves a lot to be desired, with shoddy CGI, and a slow pace that may make The Last Breath a slog for some.
Synopsis
A group of college friends reunite on a Caribbean scuba diving trip exploring the wreckage of a WWII battleship and find themselves trapped inside the underwater labyrinth of rusted metal surrounded by great white sharks.
Review
The initial plot may seem like usual fare, but that’s all we’re really looking for when pressing play on a film like this, so its difficult to blast it for not having much originality. The abandoned WWII battleship is a good setting, adding an interesting layer that gives the movie its own flair. We meet our group of friends on a Caribbean island, which allows for some gorgeous cinematography and stunning locations to shine through. With bright sunshine and rolling tides, it immediately feels like the perfect watch for the summer months, and is a visual treat. Once our cast throw on their diving gear and head to the wreckage, the visuals are just as good. The underwater sequences are shot really nicely which definitely helps enhance the story, that unfortunately often misses the mark. Firstly, it meanders, taking a while to see our crew make their dive, and even longer for the sharks to arrive. The decision making of our characters also isn’t the best, which makes The Last Breath seem unnecessarily goofy in places. It has fleeting moments of memorable fun, and the usage of the claustrophobic location and tanks running out of oxygen certainly help to increase the tension, but the plot is otherwise a bland affair.
The performances on offer from the cast are pretty competent, which is even more commendable given it’s a smaller scale, lower budget affair. Starring in the lead role as Noah is Jack Parr, who delivers a notable performance creating a decent lead to follow. Kim Spearman and Alexander Arnold are great in their roles as Sam and Brett respectively, with all members of the diving crew managing to emphasise believable fear. It’s a shame the cast aren’t given better material, as they do their best but there’s definitely room for much more.
The characters are very under-developed, leaving them pretty one-dimensional and therefore harder to get behind. They’re also quite tropey, in that they all fall under certain stereotypes - we have the party girl, the clever girl, the ex, the stoner - it lacks diversity and flair within its character depictions. For a movie that takes its time in the beginning because it wants us to get to know our characters, it doesn’t give enough to chew on. The actor who really steals the show is the late Julian Sands. With a career spanning over many years, starring in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Oceans 13, The Killing Fields and many more, Sands is a highly commendable actor who unfortunately delivers his last performance in The Last Breath due to his untimely death. Although it’s not the best film for him to go out on, he certainly makes his presence known despite the minimal screen time. He injects fun and levity into his character of Levi, making the film as a whole much more enjoyable.
There’s one reason we’re all here - the sharks. Unfortunately, The Last Breath mostly squanders its use of the mesmerisingly terrifying creatures. It certainly has its moments, with some fear inducing chase scenes and undeniably palpable tension whenever they’re around. They increase the stakes and add a layer of fear factor, as they should. However, the main thing that ruins this experience is the look of them. Relying purely on CGI, the visual effects on display here leave a lot to be desired. The sharks look too fake once they’re in full view, ultimately squashing the audiences terror and creating a film that comes across as goofy. When looking at the poster and reading the premise, it’s easy to surmise that the sharks are the main event; if you’re coming for the sharks alone, you’re bound to be disappointed, as they’re severely underutilised and simply don’t show up on our screens enough. In terms of gore and kills, it plays it quite safe here too. This isn’t to say that our entire team of divers survive, but there isn’t much on offer in the way of blood or gnarly-ness. The main source of scare is the claustrophobia and fear of running out of oxygen - gore hounds will be left quite cold.
The Last Breath is an occasionally serviceable affair that is a better survival thriller than it is a shark horror. The performances are decent, the location is well utilised and it’s best asset is the cinematography, particularly during the underwater sequences. However, one-dimensional characters, poor CGI, a slow pace and bad writing make this quite forgettable in comparison with other additions into the sub-genre. The Last Breath is not the worst shark film available, and is certainly worth a viewing for fans of this genre, but it’s undeniable that there are far better entries out there that do something wildly similar.
Star Rating
The Last Breath is out now in UK on digital platforms, Coming soon to the US
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