Last Breath (2025) Explained: Breaking Down the True Story and Final Moments

Focus Features’ Last Breath (2025) plunges viewers into one of the most perilous professions on Earth—saturation diving—and dramatizes a 2012 incident that nearly cost diver Chris Lemons his life. Directed by Alex Parkinson, who co-directed the 2019 documentary of the same name, this film features Finn Cole, Simu Liu, and Woody Harrelson as three divers facing a terrifying underwater crisis.

If you haven’t seen the movie yet, be aware that major spoilers lie ahead.

**What Is Last Breath (2025) About?**

Last Breath (2025) opens aboard the dive support vessel Topaz as a ferocious storm rolls in over the North Sea. The film centers on saturation divers Chris Lemons (Finn Cole), Dave Yuasa (Simu Liu), and Duncan Allcock (Woody Harrelson) as they set out to perform routine maintenance on an undersea oil rig manifold. At extreme depths, they rely on an “umbilical” to supply oxygen, power, and communication.

When the ship’s dynamic positioning system abruptly fails, the vessel drifts off course, yanking the umbilicals to their breaking point. Lemons’ line eventually snaps, leaving him cut off from everything except a few minutes of emergency gas. The remainder of the film showcases the frantic attempts by Yuasa and Allcock to restore power, locate Lemons in the near-freezing waters, and pull off a last-ditch rescue that defies all expectations.

**What Is Saturation Diving in Last Breath (2025)?**

Saturation diving is a critical element of Last Breath (2025) and is as fascinating as it is dangerous. Divers working at great depths often spend weeks inside a pressurized living chamber to let their bodies acclimate to high-pressure conditions. Traveling to the ocean floor in a diving bell, they can work for longer periods before doing a single, carefully regulated decompression at the end of their shift cycle.

In the film, we see how a diver’s life support depends on the “umbilical,” which circulates a helium-oxygen mix to keep them safe at depth. One small equipment failure can become a life-or-death crisis in moments—a danger that underpins every tense second of Last Breath (2025).

**Is Last Breath (2025) Really Based on a True Story?**

Yes. The movie dramatizes actual events from September 19, 2012, when Chris Lemons, Dave Yuasa, and Duncan Allcock were working on the North Sea floor. A sudden malfunction in the ship’s positioning system caused Lemons’ tether to snap, stranding him with only a few minutes of backup air. Remarkably, he survived for over 30 minutes underwater without a dedicated oxygen supply.

Experts point to a combination of factors—such as the frigid water slowing his metabolism and the saturated levels of oxygen in his tissues—as reasons he emerged with no lasting effects. The film’s biggest triumph lies in retelling how Lemons’ fellow divers refused to give up searching until they brought him back, literally from the brink of death.

**Who Are the Main Characters in Last Breath (2025)?**

Chris Lemons (Finn Cole)
Finn Cole portrays the younger diver Chris Lemons, who becomes separated from his essential lifeline. Lemons’ fight for survival on the seafloor is the emotional core of the film. Cole’s performance highlights both the grim terror of suffocating at depth and the quiet moments of acceptance when all hope seems lost.

Dave Yuasa (Simu Liu)
Simu Liu plays Dave Yuasa, Lemons’ diving partner. Yuasa is on the rig floor with Lemons when disaster strikes and blames himself for failing to grab Lemons as the ship drifts away. When the ship’s power is restored, Yuasa leads the desperate mission to locate his colleague, exemplifying the unbreakable bond of trust divers share.

Duncan Allcock (Woody Harrelson)
Veteran diver Duncan Allcock, brought to life by Woody Harrelson, stays within the diving bell to coordinate tasks and monitor the submerged team. Harrelson captures Allcock’s levelheaded courage, setting the stage for the film’s most poignant moment: performing CPR on an apparently lifeless Lemons after he’s finally recovered.

**How Do They Rescue Chris Lemons in Last Breath (2025)?**

The rescue is a heart-stopping sequence that shows the complexity of saving a lost diver when every second matters. With the power restored, the crew quickly launches an ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) to scan the murky ocean floor. Dave Yuasa dives back into the water to follow the ROV’s signal, weaving around the oil rig manifold as time slips away.

Yuasa eventually finds Lemons lying motionless, well past the usual five-minute window in which a diver can survive without oxygen. Driven by adrenaline and hope, he hauls Lemons to the diving bell, where Duncan Allcock removes Lemons’ heavy helmet and begins rescue breaths. The scene is harrowing yet deeply moving—breath by breath, Lemons somehow regains consciousness, defying all odds.

**What Happens at the End of Last Breath (2025)?**

In the film’s final moments, the focus shifts to Lemons’ miraculous recovery. Despite being cut off from oxygen for over 30 minutes, he regains consciousness in the diving bell. Medical experts in the movie attribute this to the cold water slowing down his metabolic rate, as well as the unusually high oxygen saturation in his tissues from working at such depth.

A title card (or closing note) reveals that the real Chris Lemons experienced no permanent damage and returned to diving merely three weeks later. This astonishing outcome underscores the key theme of Last Breath (2025): even in one of the world’s most unforgiving environments, teamwork, training, and sheer determination can achieve what seems impossible.

**Where Can I Watch Last Breath (2025)?**

Last Breath (2025) is a Focus Features release and is currently screening in theaters nationwide. You can check your local listings or buy tickets on Fandango to see the movie on the big screen. If you want to compare it with the real-life footage, the acclaimed 2019 documentary Last Breath (co-directed by Alex Parkinson and Richard da Costa) is also available on various streaming platforms.

**Where Can I Find More Information on Last Breath (2025)?**

For those who want to dig deeper, many reputable sources and film databases host reviews, ratings, and detailed cast information:

How Can I Learn More on What’s After the Movie?

If Last Breath (2025) left you eager for more insights, head to the film’s dedicated page on What’s After the Movie. Our comprehensive movie database offers quizzes, deeper summaries, and easy links to other movie information providers. You can find additional trivia about the true story, take part in challenges to test your knowledge of the film, and engage in a broader community of movie enthusiasts.

We also invite you to explore our blog, which houses more “explained” articles, spoiler-heavy breakdowns, and thoughtful editorial pieces on the latest blockbusters. It’s the perfect place to discover which films you might want to dive into next!

Thanks for Diving In!

We hope this breakdown gave you a clearer understanding of Last Breath (2025) and its mesmerizing, true-to-life dramatization of a deep-sea miracle. From the chilling realities of saturation diving to the unbelievable survival of Chris Lemons, the film reminds us that courage, teamwork, and a bit of good fortune can make all the difference in life-or-death moments. If you’re as fascinated by this story as we are, be sure to visit What’s After the Movie for quizzes, more detailed summaries, and additional insights that will quench your thirst for all things related to Last Breath (2025). Safe diving—and happy viewing!