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We’re coming to the end of February, and that’s provided us with a trio of interesting new releases. Below are my takes on the new films that hit theaters on February 28. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

Last Breath (Theaters)
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, and Finn Cole
Synopsis: The ocean is a cold and vast place. It’s also a dangerous place, especially for those that need to venture deep below the surface. That’s part of the challenge facing the team in Last Breath, a new biopic that releases in theaters February 28. In 2012, Chris Lemons and his colleagues dove 300 feet deep in the North Sea. Things went wrong and Chris was cut off from his vessel and his supply of oxygen, leading to a harrowing hour as his team tried to rescue him. The event was captured by filmmaker Alex Parkinson in a 2019 documentary. This new film, which shares the same name, is a scripted recreation from Parkinson. In the film, we meet Chris (Cole), a young diver with a fiancé that is called into action. He’s a deep-sea diver that helps maintain the pipelines that keep the country running. It’s one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. His team includes a brash lead diver, Dave (Liu), and a veteran Bellman, Duncan (Harrelson). Despite rough seas, their work begins. As the team is down, and Dave and Chris are working on the sea floor, the ship suffers a failure. It slides off course, pulling the divers along. But Chris is caught and his tether to the ship—and to life supporting air—is cut. He pulls himself into position and lights a flare, but his air is running out and his ship and crew are sliding further away. As Chris fights to hang on, Dave and Duncan rally in the Diving Bell and the crew on the ship scramble to restore power and move back into position to get Chris before it’s too late. This is a true story, and one that many might have experienced in the documentary. It’s an amazing story and a happy one, ultimately. But this new scripted take re-creates those events and, for those who haven’t seen the story, this production provides a tense ride through the events. Parkinson is familiar with this story. He delivered the documentary and skillfully delivers this new version as well. Cole does a nice job in the lead role, drawing you into the character. Harrelson and Liu are good in their roles, too. Above the surface, veteran Cliff Curtis plays the ship’s captain and Mark Bonnar does a nice job as the dive captain. I liked the way the story was put together. The film moves at a good pace and delivers good tension. The score and the way it’s put together keep you engaged, and the third act provides a great emotional payoff. This is a story worth checking out.
Rating: PG-13 for brief strong language.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

My Dead Friend Zoe (Theaters)
Starring: Sonequa Martin-Green, Natalie Morales, Ed Harris, and Morgan Freeman
Synopsis: It is tough to serve our country overseas. You see and do a lot of things that can leave a lasting impact. But the trauma from that experience doesn’t end when you return home. That’s been the case for thousands of our troops in recent years. Often, the adjustment away from the battlefield is the hurdle they can’t overcome. A new film, My Dead Friend Zoe, understands that deeply and personally. As becomes clear, that’s because director Kyle Hausmann-Stokes based it on his experiences and on his friends who served. He worked on the screen story and the script, and you can feel that deeply emotional connection in the way this story comes to life on the screen. The film focuses on Merit (Martin-Green) and Zoe (Morales), who are best friends and soldiers at the front. We are introduced to them in Afghanistan in 2016 and then quickly spin to the present, where they are at a support group for soldiers with PTSD. Except they aren’t both there. Only Merit is there, but she still sees and interacts with Zoe, and it’s crippling her. Merit is forced into therapy because of an incident at work. But she remains closed off, much to the dismay of her leader, Dr. Cole (Freeman). He refuses to sign off on her court papers until she does the work. But Merit is trapped by the past and the literal manifestation of Zoe, who seems to be holding her back. That’s not her only issue. Her mother (Gloria Reuben) is also on Merit to help with her grandfather (Harris), an Army veteran with memory issues who increasingly can’t live alone. Merit loves her grandfather—who was her early hero—and can’t take the idea of sending him to a facility and selling the family cabin. But her mother is set on that plan, forcing Merit to take sides. All the while, she’s plagued by memories of the past and the regret surrounding Zoe. Can she learn to open up and move forward before it’s too late? Sometimes I’m surprised when I dive into a movie. My Dead Friend Zoe played at festivals in 2024 but is finally getting a wide release on February 28. I didn’t know anything about it when I watched and what I found blew me away. There is a beauty and emotional depth in this film. I loved the way it was put together, and I couldn’t believe how effective the storytelling was in the film. Martin-Green is great in the lead role. Her performances helps carry the film in a beautiful way. I enjoyed how she played off the other characters, too. Her back-and-forth with Morales is deeply affecting. Morales does a beautiful job in her role, too. And I also enjoyed Utkarsh Umbudkar, who plays a sweet supporting role. The journey of the film is worth taking but it’s the third act which packs the biggest emotional wallop and the most reward. I was deeply moved by what I saw in a film that is my favorite of the year so far. It’s worth seeking out in theaters this weekend.
Rating: R for language.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

Riff Raff (Theaters)
Starring: Ed Harris, Lewis Pullman, Bill Murray, Jennifer Coolidge, and Gabrielle Union
Synopsis: Families are complicated. That’s one of the clear takeaways from Riff Raff, a new film that opens on February 28. The film focuses on two families who intersect in surprising and violent ways. Vincent (Harris) is trying to enjoy a quiet New Years at his secluded cabin with his wife (Union) and his stepson, DJ (Miles J. Harvey). Vincent is the only father DJ has ever known after his biological father died in a car accident. Vincent was there to pick up the pieces and has built a quiet life for them. But that isn’t what his past was like. When Vincent’s own son, Rocco (Pullman) crashes the party with his pregnant girlfriend (Emanuela Postacchini) and mother (Coolidge) in tow, it shakes things up. It’s clear that something is up with Rocco, but he’s not quite ready to share. As their stay extends, he finally lets his father know that he’s found himself in the middle of something and he needs help. Turns out someone from Vincent’s past, Lefty (Murray), is hot on his tail after an incident back in the city. And Lefty has brought his right-hand man, Lonnie (Pete Davidson), along for the ride, cutting a violent swath across Maine as part of their search. This film has a lot going on and a lot of layers packed into an hour and 43 minutes. But does it work? Not always. It’s clear that the film hopes to inject some comedy while bringing in the drama. And there are comedic performers here, but the jokes fall flat and much of the dramatic sequences end up awkward. It’s a talented cast but a complicated set up. By the time we get to the eventual Third Act collision, it just isn’t that interesting. And the way it all plays out, including the tacked on ending sequence, feels disjointed. There’s some potential here, but it fails to come together. The film ends up something of a mess because of a wildly disjointed script.
Rating: R for some strong violence, pervasive language, sexual content/nudity and some drug use.
Verdict: Two stars out of five