‘Iron Lung’ Drowns Audiences in Blood-Soaked, Deep Sea Terror [Review]
Aquatic horror films are notoriously difficult to make. No one wants to shoot in wet conditions for weeks on end. As a result, not many get made when compared to other subgenres like, say, slashers. But that’s what makes it so exciting when the rare gem does rise to the surface. Underwater accomplished just that a few years ago. And now, we have that film’s smaller, creepier, much bloodier cousin in writer/director Mark Fischbach’s (aka, Markiplier) claustrophobic nightmare, Iron Lung.
Based on the video game of the same name by David Szymanski, Iron Lung takes place in a post-apocalyptic future. An event dubbed “The Quiet Rapture” has destroyed all planets and life, leaving only a small portion of humanity still alive on space stations and starships. A convict, Simon (Fishbach), has been tasked with a mission to explore an ocean of blood on a distant moon believed to harbor valuable resources. Verify that, and he’ll earn his freedom. But once Simon descends in a one-room submarine, communications are lost. Images from the sub’s camera reveal the skeletons of mysterious creatures. And he soon realizes there’s a lot more to the mission than he’s been told.
I haven’t played Iron Lung. I can’t speak to how well this film works as an adaptation. But I can say that Fischbach’s version is pure nightmare fuel. The filmmaker displays an impressive ability for creating suffocating atmosphere. Iron Lung feels like a creeping haunted house film set at the bottom of an ocean (a blood ocean, no less). Immersive sound design pulls you under as the ship creaks and groans. The static of the comms fizzles. And strange whispers pass like waves through the air. All while mysterious figures lurk in the shadows just out of Simon’s view. Fischbach understands that it’s what you don’t see that scares you the most. Unsettling though vague skeletal images of creatures taken by the sub’s camera inspire thoughts of horrors the mind can hardly comprehend. Lovecraft, eat your heart out.
Fischbach gained popularity through reaction videos, and Iron Lung might as well be the ultimate version of that. Dealing with the trauma of the events that led Simon to the mission, he’s already on edge. Once beneath the surface, though, the character acts as an avatar for the audience. Repeated F-bombs drop as Simon crawls through tight shafts, dips into pools of blood, and receives terrifying images of his surroundings. I found myself uttering “fuck that” with Simon often as he closes his eyes and pushes through, hellbent on freedom. Fischbach may not be the most gifted actor, but he does just enough to sell the terror.
Some moments become tedious as Simon pieces clues together—it often feels like a live-action video game—but that’s never enough to distract from the chilling paranoia crawling through the sub. In fact, I’d argue the length and pacing only add to the highly immersive experience. We’re right there with Simon, trapped in his own personal hell where every moment is agony. Sticking with him through each second of terror works to enhance our own.
Despite the isolation, the paranoia, the monsters, and the blood dripping from the comms, the scariest element surfaces from the mere thought of humanity’s extinction…and the inability of those left to care. Those overseeing the project have a mantra they repeat, that the mission matters more than anything…and that includes Simon’s life. Iron Lung wades through the matter that feels all too prescient now, the idea that people have just…stopped caring. Stopped believing in a better future. Given up all hope. Given up on each other. Simon screams in the face of that horror, distraught and wondering what has stopped others from wanting to live as badly as he does. His world may not be ours, but the parallels are clear as day deep down in the murkiness of humankind drowning in a sea of blood and monsters.
The shocking two-plus hours runtime will likely leave most wanting out of that sub as much as Simon. That’s a long time to watch one man battle demons internally while not in a contained chamber piece. Personally, I never felt the weight of the pacing dragging me down thanks to Fischbach’s entrancing atmospherics. But it certainly won’t be for those who want their films tighter than the claustrophobic space of the sub.
With Iron Lung, Fischbach has introduced himself as an exciting new voice in horror. From the production design to the atmosphere and the visual effects, the filmmaker’s debut horror film stretches far beyond the limits imposed on it. Fischbach manages to turn every penny into a buck, filling the screen with eye-popping visuals that are going to swim around in my mind for years. Whether you enjoy a good slowburn, aquatic terror, or both, you don’t want to miss Iron Lung in the loudest theater you can find. Sink or swim, my friend.
Iron Lung is now playing in theaters.
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Iron Lung
Summary
While Iron Lung could use a trim, director Mark Fischbach impresses with his blood-soaked, atmospheric feature horror debut.
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