After all the planets of the universe disappeared, a convict is sent with a ship to explore the only one left, one covered in an ocean of blood.
Claustrophobic, psychological, dystopian, dark, and… too long!
One of the strengths of Iron Lung is that it does not throw the audience into complete confusion. The story is explained. The rapture-like event that has transformed the universe is discussed. The importance of the mission is highlighted. The stakes are established. Yet despite all that, a certain degree of confusion remains. And I suspect that has much to do with the relationship between the film and the game.
Having never played the original game before watching the film, I found myself feeling that there were pieces missing from the puzzle. Not enough to make the narrative incomprehensible, but enough to create questions that the film itself only partially addresses. Interestingly, after watching gameplay and lore videos afterwards, I realised just how faithful the adaptation actually is. David Szymanski, writer of the homonymous game and the film, and co-writer/director Mark Fischbach respect the source material far more than many game adaptations dare to.
Atmospherically, it is remarkably effective. Imagine Event Horizon (1997), made on a significantly smaller budget by Terry Gilliam, and you are somewhere in the right vicinity. The film traps both its protagonist and the audience inside an oppressive environment where every metallic creak, every distant sound, and every uncertain signal carries weight. The result is an experience that feels simultaneously paranormal, psychological, and existential.
The acting is solid throughout, but special credit should also go to the off-screen performers. Plot twist: Mark Fischbach is also the lead actor (you may know him as “Markiplier” from YouTube)! The voices transmitted through speakers and communication systems become characters in their own right, creating tension, uncertainty, and occasional comfort in a world almost completely devoid of human presence – only blood and the ungodly creature at the bottom.
The directing, editing, and practical effects are equally commendable. Plot twist 2: Mark Fischbach is also the editor! There is a tactile quality to the film that digital effects alone could never have achieved. Hidden beneath the science-fiction horror are also a few intriguing sociocultural observations about isolation, authority, sacrifice, and humanity’s response to catastrophe.
My primary issue is the running time. Two hours inside essentially the same environment is a difficult balancing act. Eventually, the repetition begins affecting audience engagement. The film could have easily achieved everything it wanted in around one hour and forty minutes tops.
Still, as said, Iron Lung succeeds where many adaptations fail. It understands what made the original unsettling and translates that dread remarkably well to the screen. Ask yourselves why it leaves certain questions unanswered.
P.S. Plot Twist 3: Mark Fischbach is also the executive producer.
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