‘Iron Lung’ Review frames last week’s film discussion, which centered around an expensive, lavish vanity documentary backed by an enormous promotional budget that still failed to find box office success—much like Shelter. Although Shelter narrowly won its weekend race against the heavily advertised mainstream thriller Send Help, another new release quietly emerged, largely absent from traditional marketing yet buoyed by a strong online following.
“Iron Lung” marks Mark Fischbach (aka Markiplier) first theatrical feature film attempt, having built up an enormous following through YouTube videos in which he reviews games he plays himself. At first glance, his act may not seem sophisticated but you can appreciate how his charismatic, humorous personality (coupled with his dulcet speaking voice) would quickly attract followers – as they did for his self-funded movie with zero marketing outlay!
Fischbach had anticipated opening on just a small number of screens; but due to overwhelming advance demand, that number increased exponentially to over 3000 before release. Today, his film holds the No. 2 position in America, at an astoundingly low production cost that represents just a tiny fraction of that of his nearest competitors.
‘Iron Lung’ Review : Claustrophobic Atmosphere and Indie Triumph Can’t Fully Offset an Overlong Story
Success stories like “Lung” should give hope to independent filmmaking in an age of corporate mergers and dwindling resources, even though its actual contents might not inspire as much. That narrative might even outshone what’s onscreen: an enterprising but overlong sci-fi suspense effort faithfully recreating David Szymanski’s 2022 video game’s restrictive confines of confining protagonist and viewer in a midget submarine — creating an effective grimness and oppressive feeling throughout — yet there’s not enough plot here for that full two hours; those unfamiliar with its contents might struggle even further when things do happen.
Fischbach stars as Simon, our unwitting hero who’s been imprisoned on a moon colony for an unknown act of destruction (which he claims was accidental), but is given one last chance at redemption through an underwater submersible mission in an “ocean of blood’s” depths. Just what it entails remains unclear and whether his superiors (who simply refer to him as “Convict”) will fulfill their promise of freedom upon completing that vague task; while his technology may have impressed aquatic explorers of 1960s; brief still images let him see glimpses outside while paper maps provide visual aid of underwater terrain maps of depths.
In an off-screen future, humanity has established space settlements. Their existence is threatened when an unknown event known as “The Quiet Rapture” appears to destroy stars and planets. Unfortunately, an initial burst of explanation (via voiceover) was somewhat muffled by a sound mix skewed toward composer Andrew Hulshult’s often-repetitive score; further audio information from subsidiary figures often became incomprehensible due to distortion or staticky transmission issues.
Audiences often find it equally befuddling when it comes to what Simon experiences and is exposed to. Turbulence shakes him around while he encounters strange “alien shit” under the waves, finds an abandoned predecessor vessel similar to his own, hears dire warnings from a deceased predecessor vessel, accidentally releases radiation leakage onto surface crew members, has brief childhood flashbacks, and generally seeks survival.
He finds his oxygen supply shrinking while blood dripping from the ceiling indicates this container may not be fully airtight. Perils abound as we’re trapped together with him inside this cramped, oppressive crate; his uncertainty about “what’s real anymore” increases dramatically while any fear associated with hearing or seeing things that may or may not be real escalates exponentially; although none appear particularly alarming or upsetting to him.
Fischbach, who looks similar to Adam Driver or Keanu Reeves, excels as an actor in this non-jokey context. But as director, he risks accusations that his convoluted narrative stretches on too long just so he can provide more material for his star actor’s histrionic performance. While “Iron Lung” offers players long odds for survival simulation game play with long odds basically guaranteeing doom for them all, its viscous conclusion leaves many viewers questioning its value; their repeativeness has worn thinned patience enough so even an unsatisfiable end won’t satisfy.
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“Lung” stands out in numerous aspects, particularly its design contributions; even within its strict constraints they excel. Cinematographer Philip Roy struggled to avoid over-emphasizing closeups or shaky cam, yet the often dark imagery (Simon receives only brief cabin illumination) proved effective enough. Fischbach’s editing, which as revealed by closing credits involved no less than six additional editors, does a solid job at maintaining an anxious rhythm; yet you cannot help feeling that this script would have fared much better as 90 minutes or less. Hulshult’s atmospheric score provides significant rumbles and beats without overshadowing some dialogue here and there.
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“Iron Lung’s” R rating seems to come primarily from Simon’s tendency to drop profanities during conversation, rather than any actual physical violence or horror content in this movie based on a sci-fi horror game.