Iron Lung‘s film poster projects the film’s sea-themed horror.
Works of art such as Super Mario Bros. (1993) and Mortal Kombat (1995), while cult classics now, were not warmly received in their time. Now, both rebooted and decently-liked franchises are receiving sequels this Spring.
However, excellent critical reception is still rare despite box-office success (looking at you Five Nights at Freddy’s 2). However, the Sonic the Hedgehog movies keep getting more beloved, and television has proved a particularly good medium for game adaptations with Fallout and The Last of Us – two excellent smash hits.
I was hoping Iron Lung would join the ranks of greatness, but it unfortunately sinks under the weight of its own ambition.
The film is adapted from an indie game where the player (a convict) operates a submarine amidst a strange blood ocean – searching for answers and artifacts after an inexplicable apocalypse called the “Quiet Rapture.” All the planets and stars have disappeared, life is limited, and hope is as untouchable as the stars long gone.
It’s a fairly simple game regarding mechanics and story, though from my understanding, the lore is complex and expansive. This was my biggest issue with Iron Lung; I simply didn’t get it. Though it’s clear the filmmaker does.
Writer, director, editor, executive producer, and lead star of the movie, Mark Fischbach — better known by his YouTube channel name, Markiplier — clearly loves this game.
He would not have made it his theatrical directorial debut otherwise. Passion is not lacking here, but context and clarity are.
From the start, the film provides a basic overlay of the plot, and I respect the decision to toss the viewer in the deep end right away. This deep end unfortunately provides no footing, no place to grab ahold of that would help connect what is learned to my heart.
Much emphasis is eventually placed on the convict’s backstory, as well as the reason for his taking part in this life-threatening expedition, all of which is spoken about indirectly. Specific details are skirted around, allowing audiences to piece the past together on their own. And while I like when a movie doesn’t explain everything, there’s a point when the information becomes too vague to be meaningful. Flashes of memory and constant close-ups of a medallion weren’t enough to make me care about a finale meant to be epiphanic and emotional.
Perhaps terms, acronyms, and events with little explanation would have sufficed if the film were better paced. I have no idea why Iron Lung needed to be over two hours long. A standout sequence of the convict flipping switches, taking pictures, marking maps, and steering the submarine is dreadfully dull.
Tension and unease are absent entirely during this portion of this horror movie. Its inclusion feels awkward and overly long, likely meant to showcase the game’s mechanics. A later scene also feels forced and ultimately unnecessary, but that gets a slight pass for providing some of the film’s most frightening moments.
That scene, however, is overbearing in volume, like much of this movie. Attentiveness to sound is not the weakness — the foley work is all very appropriate for this world — but the loudness doesn’t do that work any favors.
Improperly mixed audio distanced me from the story’s focus. If I can’t hear what’s being said through a ferociously fuzzy speaker, or a clanging cacophony of metallic roars and gushing liquids blocks out a character’s dialogue or my thoughts, becoming emotionally detached is easy. When combined with unapproachable worldbuilding and inconsistent pacing, I found myself yawning in my seat.
Heartbreak is an apt feeling. As a fan of Markiplier, ocean exploration, and cosmic horror, I wanted to love Iron Lung. And in fairness, there are elements to love about it.
Iron Lung’s greatest strength is its setting: the blood ocean and the submarine that barriers life from death.
An ocean of blood is a horrifying concept. Blood and water are both providers of life, but the former is so associated with death and violence that being submersed in it sounds like something out of a nightmare. That’s the apocalypse for you.
Rarely do movies recognize the impact of their blood usage. Django Unchained is one of them, playfully splattering it around like a child’s toy. Fischbach’s usage of it is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum than Quentin Tarantino’s. He understands the horror of blood outside the body.
Something so simple as drops of blood dripping in a submarine supposedly welded shut creates danger and worry, almost as if the vehicle itself is crying, its sorrow deeper than that of the protagonist and the state of the dying universe.
Adding to the horror is the fake blood itself. Clearly of the highest quality possible, it all looks like human blood, not just red liquid or stains so often seen on film. Visually viscous and with a rustic coloration that reeks of iron, I was wowed, especially because the sheer amount of blood is staggering. This work is beyond compare and deserves the highest of praises for impressing and creating true dread.
Nearly as impressive is the submarine as a playground for production design. Many movies take place in a singular location, but I don’t know if I’ve seen one quite so small as this shabby piece of junk. Challenging though it may be to make a consistently compelling film out of this restriction, Iron Lung often succeeds.
Inventive shot angles (some from the ceiling, some from the floor, some from the hanging wires, some peeking through those wires, and others from the perspective of walls and objects) create a dynamism that prevents the film from being a complete slog.
Interaction with this space also makes it feel lived in. The convict’s attempts to create more detailed maps and to keep the external camera flashing for extra light are not just a part of the plot, but are clever ways to play with this cramped set. And the revelation of spaces hidden through dim lighting, shadows, or panelling makes this prison feel larger than it is.
Perhaps most surprising to me was the characterization of the protagonist. Having watched Fischbach play the game on YouTube, I expected this movie to simply be a scary time with hints of existential hopelessness. Fischbach, as seen through his confident directing here, aims for something greater. His convict is a vessel through which a conflict that rings eternal is held: hope vs. despair.
Casting himself as this convict had me worried. There’s a difference between putting on a performance for YouTube and putting on a performance for a film, and while Fischbach does sometimes come across as unrehearsed and stilted, the role surprisingly plays to his strengths.
He’s isolated, talking to himself, swears and screams quite a bit, and knows how to use his head (long, unkept hair included) alone to express himself. Often he’s exasperated, defeated before he’s faced any real danger. There’s little hope to be found in this predicament.
A simpler story this movie would have been if only it had truly submerged the viewer in despair. Maybe it would have made for a more successful film overall. But Iron Lung attempts to find some hope at the end of all things. Fischbach’s feature debut is no doubt flawed, but no one can deny its ambition.
I’m more pleased with an adaptation of this game being an imperfect big leap than a hop, skip, and a jump to safety. The Super Mario Bros. Movie was safe, and I’ll remember Iron Lung with far more fondness. Besides, when things feel like they’re tumbling down, who doesn’t want the warm embrace of hope?