Netflix just added one of its 'best ever' documentaries to the platform

From old sitcoms and new movies to true crime docs and music concerts, the options of things to watch on Netflix can seem endless.

But if you’re a documentary lover, there’s a clear winner for your next watch.

Netflix has added one of its 'best ever' documentaries to the streaming platform and it’s going to have you gripped.

The Deepest Breath is one of its originals and was actually featured on last Friday’s (21 July) episode of Celebrity Gogglebox on Channel 4.

Rated 12, the nearly two-hour-long documentary is written and directed by Irish filmmaker Laura McGann, also known for Revolutions and Wartgirl.

It follows the story of Italian champion Alessia Zecchini and Ireland’s Stephen Keenan in the freediving world.

Netflix

The official description of The Deepest Breath from Netflix reads: “Bonded by their love of freediving, a record-setting champion and a heroic safety diver try to make history with a remarkable feat, ready to risk it all.”

Freediving is a dangerous extreme sport where competitors attempt to dive to mind-boggling depths underwater and hold their breath until resurfacing without using any scuba gear.

In the documentary, Zecchini hopes to set a new world record and she is assisted by safety diver Keenan.

Safety divers are a necessity to the sport, with freedivers often having blackouts during their ascent to the surface.

The pair train together as Zecchini prepares to take on the legendary Blue Hole in Dahab, Egypt.

Netflix

This challenging dive is 184 feet below the Red Sea and features a 85-foot-long tunnel.

During the dive, the Italian must swim from one safety rope to the other, on either side of the tunnel, where Keenan is set to meet her.

Before it was added to the streaming platform, The Deepest Breath also had a little release in cinemas - which could suggest Netflix is hoping for it to be a contender for Best Documentary at 2024’s Oscars.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the documentary has an impressive 96 percent audience score and a respectable 84 percent on the Tomatometer from 43 reviews.

Vogue wrote: “The film is addictive and alarming, fascinated as it is with athletic obsession (and ever so slightly manipulative in its successive reveals).”

After watching the doc, one viewer said: “Very powerful, most of the film was watched through tears.”

While another added: "The Deepest Breath is one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen."

Others called it the ‘toughest documentary’ they’ve ever watched, ‘incredibly moving’ and ‘a spectacular watch’.

The Deepest Breath is now available to watch on Netflix.

Topics: Netflix, TV And Film, Documentaries

Jess Battison

Jess is an Entertainment Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include keeping up with the Twitter girlies, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021 and has previously worked at MyLondon.

@jessbattison_