The Last Breath is the latest killer shark movie to swim into view, but can it do something fresh with one of cinema’s most tired sub-genres?

As someone with an unflinching interest in shark movies, I’m never sure what I find more frustrating. The godawful try-nothing movies that don’t put all that much cash into any one aspect of the production? Or is it the ones that get one point well and whiff the others so bad a shark wouldn’t eat it?

The Last Breath is in the latter camp. There’s a very commendable understanding of underwater cinematography at play here. But that focus seems to mean sense and logic have been largely drained from the narrative’s oxygen tank.

Before we get into that, the story: A group of college friends is increasingly distant seven years after their initial time together. Their latest reunion comes two whole years after the last. So that dynamic drives a certain desperation to have a moment together.

Noah (Jack Parr – The Limehouse Golem) is working with the seasoned ocean-farer and scuba tour owner Levi (Julian Sands in what is seemingly his last role before his tragic demise) to find a long-lost WWII battleship. They finally chance upon the wreck after storms unearth it from the sands of the deep. Financial strains are alluded to and then explicitly stated. That presents an opportunity when Noah’s rich prick pal Brett (Alexander Arnold) offers a princely sum to show his Instagram fans that he’s got first dibs on exploring a historic wreck. So, the reunion of the college pals is set to culminate in a landmark dive before the authorities get their hands on it.

The Last Breath trailer

Soon, the foursome find themselves trapped in the wreck. Running out of air, and hunted by some seriously tetchy Great White sharks.

The good stuff. The underwater scenes generally look great. Although using a different cinematographer this time, director Joachim Hedén showed that this is his realm with 2020’s Breaking Surface. At its best, it conveys a sense of claustrophobia and panic as things get hairer. If it had been more of a pocket disaster movie about them getting trapped down there without the shark stuff, it might have fared better. Because the underwater scenes instill a believability that the CG sharks do not help maintain.

There are also some decent gore effects with close-ups of ragged flesh and lacerations. Again though, they aren’t exactly delicately blended with digital effects all that well.

The other performances are nothing special in general. They’re downright awful in some instances. This will hardly go down in the annals of great Julian Sands performances, but it’s hard not to think of his recent passing when watching him in a new film for what is likely the last time. With that knowledge in mind, an emotional weight is attached to his sad old boat captain. Yet still, this film finds a way to undermine that with a frankly illogical and downright terrible last scene for his character.

Deep Sea Blues

And that leads us to the bad. The Last Breath has all this underwater expertise, but seems to be lacking elsewhere. Every character is a glib cliche stereotype largely performed with a gusto reserved for redwood trees. Decision-making is beyond idiotic. Especially considering how much knowledge there had to be about what does and doesn’t work underwater. Some really, really baffling choices that defy logic.

I think we should be at a point where if you’re going to do a killer shark you need to pick a lane. Are you a Deep Blue Sea where your sharks have superpowers that allow you to break conventions? Or are you going for something a bit more grounded? So many of these movies get stuck on the rocks between the two and become annoying. We know so much more about sharks now than we did when Jaws came out. Making things up about sharks is fine in the right narrative context, but do it with some consistency.

In The Last Breath, one minute, they’re using logical facts about what a shark can or cannot do; the next, they’re treating them like a fishy Ghostface capable of dramatic entrances and coordinated planning. Coupled with the wonky CGI, it makes it hard to have any fear of these toothy killers of the deep.

Inconsistency is the keyword for this film. At one point, a big deal is made about how little air one character has in their oxygen tank and how it would be nearly impossible to get to the surface. Later, a character free-dives for an absurd amount of time whilst being pursued by a shark. Again, with so much knowledge of underwater filming available, it seems at odds with that.

Then we have the ending, which doesn’t really give a proper payoff and then closes on a tone-deaf ending for characters that have been tough to care for in the preceding 90 minutes.

The Last Breath is a waste of some great potential. There are the bones for an intense shark survival thriller here that is sunk by so many poor decisions. There are many worse shark movies out there, but few are as frustratingly bad as this one.

Score: 3/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 3 equates to ”Bad”. Due to significant issues, this media feels like a chore to take in.

The ensemble whodunnit has seen a resurgence in recent years with movies like Knives Out and Kenneth Branagh’s takes on some of Agatha Christie novels. Dead Dead Full Dead is a Fantasia Film Festival World Premiere that puts a surreal spin on the premise. Two police officers are called to investigate a murder. It seems like an open and shut case, but the more they look into the suspects, the less sure they are of what has really happened.

Dead Dead Full Dead goes beyond the realm of mystery into something much more cosmic. A shocking incident involving a baby goat early on is just the beginning of a number of strange events. An eclipse, dead bodies that can die again, and purgatory are just part of the zaniness the film has to offer. It is a fun mix that can be a little too overwhelming at times.

This is most apparent in the investigative flashbacks that are employed. The moments are neat ideas that see the investigators place themselves in the alibis of the people being interrogated. These scenes give insight into all of the characters while also providing motive for what has transpired.

They are also very confusing. Reality is distorted and it can be hard to follow exactly what is happening. It is especially confusing when the people in the real world have strong feelings for what has happened in their dream scenarios. While it does make sense they would feel powerful guilt over what has happened, it is also never addressed that it is not real. It would make more sense if the characters questions what had just happened.

This may be the point of Dead Dead Full Dead. Time and regret are recurring themes with references to and memories of the past sprinkled throughout. Whether these are big events like a first time meeting or smaller things like emojis, there is the constant idea of how things could have been better. Everyone is in a state of reflection.

The deeper parts of the film are offset by a zany humor that pairs perfectly. While many of the jokes are over the top, some are delivered with a surprising amount of subtlety. There are even some sight gags that will keep the audience guessing what is going to happen next. Overall, Dead Dead Full Dead is a unique mix of heavy ideas, silly comedy, and murder. There are a lot of moving pieces and it can all be a lot to take in. Still, it is a consistently entertaining watch. 

The Fantasia International Film Festival takes places from July 18 – August 4. Check out the latest news HERE

Join the AIPT Patreon

Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:

• ❌ Remove all ads on the website
• 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
• 📗 Access to our monthly book club
• 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
• 💥 And more!

Sign up today

Sign up for our newsletter

After a slow start to the summer for movie theaters, Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” continued the box-office bounce back this weekend, breaking the record for biggest opening for an R-rated movie domestically.

The movie brought in $205 million in its first weekend domestically at the box office, according to Comscore estimates. It cost $200 million to produce, according to Variety.

“This is a spectacular opening,” wrote David Gross in the movie industry newsletter FranchiseRe, estimating that “Deadpool & Wolverine” could rank as the fourth-biggest superhero opening of all time after final weekend figures come out. He also noted that audience and critic reviews were good.

“These characters’ popularity is growing, not slowing,” Gross wrote. “The numbers are fantastic.”

The film follows Deadpool asking Wolverine for help in saving Deadpool’s friends and his universe.

The last “Deadpool” movie, featuring the loudmouth protagonist portrayed by Ryan Reynolds, was released in 2018. “Deadpool & Wolverine” brings the character together with his Marvel counterpart, the X-Men icon played by Hugh Jackman, and is the first film to incorporate the popular mutants since Disney’s 2019 acquisition of 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets.

“The two have been paired up for ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ a crossover event that’s also a sort of Viking funeral and salute to the 20th Century Fox Marvel era,” wrote Tribune News Service film critic Katie Walsh.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” also broke other box office records, with the highest July opening weekend of all time and highest opening weekend of 2024, according to Comscore.

Trailing “Deadpool & Wolverine” at the domestic box office this weekend was action movie “Twisters,” bringing in $35.3 million, and animated movie “Despicable Me 4” with $14.2 million, according to Comscore estimates.

The success of “Deadpool & Wolverine” comes at a time when a number of industry observers have voiced concerns about superhero fatigue after a string of movies, including “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and “The Marvels,” did not produce the box office results desired.

Gross wrote in his newsletter that there are fewer superhero movies being released, with just five this year. That’s compared with 2018 and 2019, when there were seven superhero films each year.

“Over the next few years, we’ll see if Marvel and DC Comics can launch several new stories that are interesting enough to grow into series,” Gross wrote. “That’s what it will take to bring the genre all the way back.”

Times staff writer Samantha Masunaga contributed to this report.