You’ve been there.
You finish watching a series and are ready for something new. But you don’t know what to watch. You search. You try suggestions. Nothing seems to fit. You’ll never enjoy a program again.
Then you find something, and all is right with the world.
Such was the case with me last night when I stumbled upon a Netflix limited series titled “Keep Breathing.” Released in July 2022, “Keep Breathing” consists of six episodes and a great premise. I started and finished it in a single night.
Melissa Barrera as ‘Liv’ in episode 106 of Keep Breathing. (Photo: Ricardo Hubbs/Netflix © 2022).
Watching made me think of two very different things in the world of entertainment. The TV show “Lost” and the horror flick “Gerald’s Game” and if you watch, you’ll know what I mean. “Gerald’s Game” is based on a Stephen King novel, and while “Keep Breathing” isn’t horror, it is one of the most terrifying situations anyone could find themselves in.
Melissa Barrera stars
Liv (Melissa Barrera) hitches a ride on a small plane. What seems a quick and easy way to reach her destination turns to chaos as the plane crashes, and Liv finds herself stranded in the middle of the rough and deadly Pacific Northwest.
“Keep Breathing” will make you keep watching. It’s a compelling and tense narrative as the story jumps back and forth; Liv’s childhood, her life prior to the crash, which also has its surplus of drama, and her attempts to survive after.
Melissa Barrera is the star, and does a great job in multiple types of roles. Pre-crash Liv is a work focused attorney living in New York. She deals with alcoholism, an inter-office relationship with Danny (Jeff Wilbusch) and traumatic childhood experiences that won’t be spoiled here.
Not an outdoor person, she’s used to dating and dancing on the streets of Manhattan. The sharp twist to her in tight jeans and heeled boots trying to survive in the wild is great.
“Keep Breathing” (Photo: Netflix © 2022).
The other actors are fine as compliments.
Liv speaks to herself through visions of her father (Juan Pablo Espinosa) and sexy but ineffective mother (Florencia Lozano). Channeling the aforementioned “Gerald’s Game,” the co-pilot of the plane (Austin Stowell) taunts her from beyond the grave.
Perfect? No.
The editing could have been better. As we cut back and forth from Liv’s childhood, to adulthood, to post crash survival, it seems to be off balance. It takes us out of the tension at times, and could have been cleaned up by trimming the series down to five episodes.
And the show misses the opportunity for more wildlife scares. Wolves, grizzlies, venomous snakes — all are present in the region, and are suspiciously absent for most of the story. It’s not based on true events, so the scope of fiction can be enjoyed unfettered.
“Keep Breathing” is fun, and easy to watch. It’s an adventure type tale mixed with traditional family drama. I finished it fast. Once again, I now need something new to watch.
“Keep Breathing” is currently available to stream on Netflix.
