After Hideo Kojima shared his review forLast Breath, star Simu Liu now takes to social media with his reaction. Directed by Alex Parkinson, the 2025 survival thriller tells thetrue story of deep-sea diver Chris Lemons(Finn Cole) and the daring rescue that his crewmates stage after he becomes trapped far below the ocean’s surface. Liu stars in theLast Breathcast as Dave Yuasa, with Woody Harrelson playing Duncan Allock, Cliff Curtis playing Andre Jenson, and Mark Bonnar playing Craig. The film was released in February, earning generally positive reviews.
Among the positive reviews forLast Breathis one fromKojima, who finally caught up with the film, and Liu has evidently now seen the legendary video game creator’s thoughts. In a post on X on June 15,Kojima shared a glowing review, praising the movie for its “unrelenting sense of claustrophobia and oxygen-deprived tension"before then calling out Liu specifically, saying that theShang-Chistar “truly captured what it means to be humanly heroic.” Read Kojima’s full review below:
“I watched “LAST BREATH” (2025) on the plane.Based on a true story—a miraculous tale of a saturation diver accident during an undersea pipeline repair (there was a documentary version previously). The film maintains an unrelenting sense of claustrophobia and oxygen-deprived tension throughout. Everyone who risks their life to save a fellow crewmate, without hesitation, is just so cool. I found myself crying again and again. Unknown to the world, there are unsung heroes out there who continue to work in dangerous conditions. Woody Harrelson was great, but it was Simu Liu—no superpowers, no kung fu—who truly captured what it means to be humanly heroic.”
Liu then quoted Kojima’s post with his reaction to the praise, revealing that he is “absolutely floored.” Check out Liu’s reaction below:
“I’m absolutely floored,” Liu writes. “It’s an incredible honour to be recognized by kojima-sama, one of the greatest visionaries the gaming medium has ever known.”
What This Means For Last Breath
The Film’s Reception & Performance Explained
Kojima, founder of Kojima Productions, is known for his immense contributions to theMetal Gearvideo game franchise, and also for creating theDeath Strandingfranchise.He regularly takes to social media to share his thoughts on the latest movie releases, and his bite-sized reviews can make quite a splash with his followers, often going viral. In the case ofLast Breath, Kojima’s praise is in line with the movie’s general reception, as it currently enjoys a 79% critics' score and a glowing 91% audience score onRotten Tomatoes.
In herLast BreathreviewforScreenRant, Mae Abdulbaki awarded the movie an eight out of 10 score, writing that it “may be the most suspenseful movie of the year.” The film, however, wasn’t a runaway hit at the box office when it released in theaters earlier this year. It’s not clear whatLast Breath’s budget was, but the film grossed $24.4 million worldwide at the box office. Though the film’s break-even point isn’t known,the positive reception from audiences – and now Kojima’s glowing review – could aid the film on home-viewing platforms.
Our Take On Hideo Kojima’s Last Breath Praise
Kojima praisesLast Breathas a whole, but his specific comments about Liu are notable. Liu is best known for playing the titular lead inShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings(2021), but has also had smaller roles inKim’s ConvenienceandArthur the King(2024), and he even played a Ken in thecast ofBarbie(2023). As a leading man,Liu hasn’t yet made a major mark outside his work in the MCU, butLast Breathis evidently the kind of film that could change this.
Kojima’sDeath Strandinggames have involved performances from a handful of notable figures in Hollywood, including Norman Reedus, Elle Fanning, Margaret Qualley, and Léa Seydoux, among others. The video game creator’s latest post could indicate that a role could be carved out for Liu in a future project, which would be an interesting pairing. ThoughLast Breathcame out about four months ago now, the latest posts from Kojima and Liu are evidently a sign to seek the film out.
