“Iron Lung” is a movie with nice ideas. The director effectively represented the claustrophobic environment of the submarine. I really liked the rusty, rough design of the set, which definitely contributed to creating a mysterious and eerie vibe. The camera used by the main character to scan the environment well replicated the tension felt in the game by not knowing what will appear on screen. The VFX and practical effects are well made.
The whole movie premise feels a bit generic and vague. A narrator explains that there was a big apocalyptic crisis called the Quiet Rupture, but no further details are given, leaving the audience dazed. While this works to some extent, it gets frustrating halfway through: the audience cannot really understand if the monster has psychic power over humans or if these are all hallucinations induced by Simon’s slow descent into madness due to prolonged confinement.
Markiplier did not really cared about the audience and his performance is inconsistent
Markiplier took for granted the knowledge of the viewer, failing to consider that not everyone played the game. Since “Iron Lung” has a basic narrative, the movie would have worked much better as a 30 to 60-minute short film. Expanding it into a full feature leads to many static scenes, repetitive dialogues, and unelaborated plotlines.
Regarding performances, Mark Fischbach is clumsy in front of the camera with an unnatural vocal tone, though supporting cast members like Elsie Lovelock, Troy Baker, and Caroline Kaplan significantly improve the watching experience.