Keep Breathing is a thriller-drama show that follows Liv, the lone survivor of a plane crash as she struggles to survive adverse conditions and her own psychological barriers in the wild. The series is now streaming on Netflix.
Story
Keep Breathing is a story of survival, but also one of the perseverance of memory. As Liv struggles to make it out alive out of the wilderness, she also has to face the memory of incidents that shaped her psyche.
As her two co-passengers succumb to the plane crash, she ends up as the sole survivor and has to find a way to survive, nourish her body and escape to safety amidst the threat of wild animals.
With her struggle for survival comes a retelling of her childhood experiences and trauma, as she is on a mission to meet and make things right with her mother.
The premise is interesting, but does not quite bring anything new to the already quite overdone tropes of survival shows. It is not necessarily a narrative engrossing enough to watch for six episodes.
Performances
The performances from the core cast is one of the things that makes Keep Breathing stand out.
Melissa Barrera’s performance as Liv is engaging and quite brilliant in terms of emotional portrayal. She carries the show forward with her acting and is the saving grace for what could otherwise have been a completely forgettable show.
The rest of the characters do not necessarily get enough time to show off their performances, but they do a decent job at setting the scenes as well.
Positives
The acting by Melissa Barrera is one of the best elements in the series, and her screen presence makes the episodes interesting to watch.
Apart from the performances, the shots and style of cinematography really add to the storytelling aspects. These add a level of depth to the otherwise bland narratives.
The brilliant visuals on screen are accompanied by an immersing soundtrack that hooks the viewer on to the scene.
The narrative also brings forth contrasts between motherhood and parenting, which adds an interesting outlook to Liv’s behaviour and feelings.
Negatives
The storyline does not bring anything new to the table and starts to feel quite predictable halfway in. Some of the plotline diversions do not make much sense and divert from commonsensical ideas simply to create drama.
Besides Liv, and her parents to an extent, none of the characters are used to their full potential. The resurgence of Sam in Liv’s thoughts holds no clear grounds as well, as she had no prior connections to him.
The ending is left open-ended, but after sitting through six episodes of Liv’s turmoil, one would hope to get some sort of closure regarding her situation.
Verdict
Keep Breathing is a visually stunning watch, but with not a lot of substantive backing to support it. With a predictable and safe storyline, it is decent just as a one-time watch.
Rating: 3/5
Also Read: Keep Breathing ending explained: Does Liv manage to survive in the wild?