Movie fans are you ready for some serious underwater suspense? The new thriller Last Breath just splashed into theaters starring Woody Harrelson and Simu Liu and people are wondering will this deep-sea drama make waves at the box office or will it get lost in the current?
'Last Breath' Opens with $7.8 Million: Is it Enough to Stay Afloat in a Slow Box Office Weekend?
Okay so Last Breath had its opening weekend and the numbers are in. The movie brought in $7.8 million domestically. That's not a massive opening but for a smaller thriller like this it is actually not too bad especially considering the movie is said to have cost under $24 million to produce. In a weekend that was admittedly pretty slow at the box office Last Breath managed to grab the number two spot right behind Captain America: Brave New World which held onto number one for its third week.
Overall this particular weekend was one of the slowest of the year so far. But Last Breath did outperform expectations a bit. Early predictions had it opening slightly lower but solid reviews and good audience scores seem to have helped it perform on the higher end of expectations. It got a B+ CinemaScore and a really impressive 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes which suggests people who are seeing it are enjoying it.
Who is Going to See 'Last Breath'? Breaking Down the Audience Demographics
So who is actually heading out to see Woody Harrelson and Simu Liu in this underwater nail-biter? Well apparently it is skewing a bit towards male audiences with 51% of viewers being men. Demographically the biggest chunk of the audience is the 25-34 year old group making up 26% of ticket buyers. But a significant portion 53% is actually over 35 showing it is appealing to a broader older audience as well.
In terms of diversity the audience was reported as 51% Caucasian 23% Latino and Hispanic 10% Black 7% Asian and 9% Native American or other groups. Geographically the strongest markets for Last Breath seem to be in the South Central Mountain and Western parts of the US. Apparently the AMC Burbank theater in Los Angeles was one of the top-grossing locations for the film showing it is playing well in key cities too.
What's the Buzz? Reviews are Solid But Social Media Hype is a Bit Underwater
Critics seem to be reasonably on board with Last Breath. It has a solid 79% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes which is pretty good for a thriller. Reviewers are calling it a tense and gripping survival story. However when it comes to social media buzz it seems like Last Breath is not exactly dominating the conversation.
Reports indicate that pre-release social media engagement for the movie was actually lower than average for the thriller genre. Stats across platforms like TikTok Facebook and X were reportedly around 60% below typical benchmarks. Maybe the marketing campaign is still trying to find its footing or perhaps the movie is relying more on word-of-mouth to spread the excitement.
'Captain America' Still Reigns Supreme (For Now) But 'Last Breath' Finds Oxygen
Even though Last Breath had a decent opening it was still Captain America: Brave New World that held onto the box office crown for its third weekend. Cap brought in another $15 million domestically staying at number one. While Captain America is still leading its overall performance has been described as "muted" and perhaps not quite hitting the heights expected for a Marvel movie.
However Last Breath in its genre is looking like it could be a modest success. Its opening of $7.8 million is considered on the higher end of expectations for a "specialty pic" which means a film aimed at a more specific audience. For Focus Features who acquired the North American rights for a reported $5 million this could turn out to be a profitable venture. It also shows that even in a slow box office period a well-made thriller with good reviews can still find an audience.
Key Facts about 'Last Breath' Movie:
- Starring: Woody Harrelson Simu Liu Finn Cole Cliff Curtis
- Directed by: Alex Parkinson
- Genre: Survival Thriller
- Plot: Deep-sea divers must rescue a colleague stranded in the North Sea.
- Production Budget: Under $24 million (reportedly)
- Domestic Opening Weekend: $7.8 million
- CinemaScore: B+
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 90%
- Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score: 79% Fresh
Will 'Last Breath' Have Staying Power? Keep an Eye on the Underwater Thrills
So the big question now is can Last Breath keep up its momentum? It had a solid opening and good audience reception but box office numbers can be unpredictable. It will need to rely on positive word-of-mouth and maybe some clever marketing to continue drawing audiences in the coming weeks. If you are looking for a tense and fact-based thriller and you are not afraid of the deep dark sea Last Breath might be worth checking out in theaters. We will be watching to see if this underwater tale can keep its head above water at the box office!