Movie Review ~ Freediver

Few sports are as innately cinematic as freediving. With its hypnotic silence and almost alien beauty, it’s no surprise that the underwater world has long been a lure  to filmmakers and audiences alike.  From Luc Besson’s The Big Blue in 1988 to any number of movies produced by ocean-obsessed James Cameron (starting with The Abyss in 1989), our entry into the majestic depths remains a constant fascination.

Michael John Warren’s Freediver takes us into this mesmerizing realm, chronicling the remarkable journey of Alexey Molchanov, a freediving champion whose feats of extraordinary endurance are as awe-inspiring as they are perilous.  With its jaw-dropping visuals and look into Molchanov’s early life, the documentary immerses viewers in the world of competitive freediving and delves deep into the psyche of an athlete shaped by legacy, loss, and an unrelenting drive for greatness.

Molchanov’s audacious 2023 campaign to set five world records in under four months is a feat that pushes the boundaries of human endurance and physical capability.  Warren’s documentary uses this year-long quest as the diving-off point, diverting this film from becoming a straightforward sports narrative and taking us beyond the statistics and records into exploring the psychological currents that drive Alexey’s pursuit.  After geopolitical tensions forced him into exile, Molchanov turned his displacement into an odyssey of self-discovery, reasserting his dominance in a sport he (and his family) had redefined.

Warren’s film draws significant power by also detailing the legacy of Molchanov’s mother, Natalia Molchanova, a freediving legend whose innovations shaped her son’s career and the sport itself.  Archival footage of Natalia is integrated throughout, offering glimpses of her genius and humanity. Her philosophy—treating freediving as a science and an art—permeates the film, underscoring Alexey’s solitary descent into the dark blue. Each dive becomes a conversation of sorts with his mother, who tragically was lost to the sea in 2015.  These moments are poignant, juxtaposing the stunning physicality of freediving with the enduring weight of maternal influence and personal loss.

The further you get into the 90-minute film, the more you will understand that freediving is not merely a sport.  It’s a spiritual and existential pursuit for those attempting the dive, demanding absolute physical precision and mental clarity. By portraying him as a man in constant negotiation with the limits of his body and mind, Warren emphasizes the overall determination of Alexey’s journey. The relationship with the ocean feels deeply personal and almost reverential. Warren’s interviews with his family, coaches, and colleagues further unravel the intricate psychology of an athlete who exists on the edge of human capability.

You’ll pardon the pun, but Jeff Louis Peterman’s underwater cinematography is breathtaking. It pulls viewers into the depths with an immediacy that moves beyond traditional documentary filmmaking.  Scenes of Alexey plunging into the abyss convey the crushing silence and pressure of the deep, transforming his dives into a visceral experience for the audience. These sequences are so arresting that they often compensate for the occasional reliance on conventional sports documentary tropes.

While the film doesn’t entirely reinvent the genre, its emotional and visual depth pushes it higher than most. Warren balances the spectacle of Alexey’s achievements with quieter moments of introspection on family and personal responsibility.  I would have liked to see more about his wife (an Olympic swimmer herself) and their life with their son.  There are so many vulnerable moments shared in addition to epic sequences of success that I would have appreciated a sprinkling of ordinary, down-to-earth illustrations.  Sometimes, the storytelling treads familiar ground, leaning on predictable beats to sustain its rhythm. These minor shortcomings, however, are easily forgiven in the face of the documentary’s broader accomplishments.

Above all, Freediver recognizes resilience—how we define our limitations, honor inherited legacies, and transform uncontrolled elements into extraordinary achievements. For audiences fascinated by stories of human accomplishment, oceanic exploration, and the intricate psychology of extreme athletes, Freediver promises an immersive experience. It captures the profound connection between a man and the sea, a mother and her legacy, and the eternal pull of the unknown.