rogueslayer452 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rogueslayer452) wrote2026-06-12 01:00 am
rogueslayer452) wrote2026-06-12 01:00 am
Entry tags:
Movie Review: Iron Lung
As promised since my review of The Edge of Sleep, here is my review and thoughts on Markiplier's recently released movie, Iron Lung.
Iron Lung is an independent science fiction horror movie and an adaptation of the video game of the same name, directed, written, and starring Mark Fischbach, also known as Markiplier on YouTube.
The story is set in a future where humanity has colonized space, however a mysterious event called "The Quiet Rapture" had entire planets and stars disappear, leaving behind only space stations and ships where the last remaining members of the human race are doing what they believe is necessary to preserve humanity, no matter what the cost. Mark plays a convict named Simon who, after being promised freedom if successful, goes on a lone mission in a welded closed submarine on a strange newly discovered moon covered in an ocean of blood, and he discovers that there's more to this mission than he was initially told, and that something down there is hunting him.
Prior to this I knew absolutely nothing of the game or its plot. I went into this movie completely blind, and I'm so happy that I did.
First and foremost, I want to say that this story is totally right up my alley. It's a slow-burn, intentionally so, in a claustrophobic environment and we're slowly learning the information along with Simon as he discovers things. If you're unfamiliar with the game as I was going in, it adds more intrigue and curiosity to what is going on, and plus the cosmic horror element and body horror galore especially towards the end, it was the perfect recipe for what I look for in a story like this. I've seen comments about how slow it is, which may not work for some, however I have no problems with that personally. It's appropriately done to set the pace, to allow environmental storytelling do it's job. Mark even made the mention that he didn't want to just go instantly into the action, he wanted to remain true to the game and how it showed the monotony of what Simon was going through, to feel his growing frustration and boredom through the isolation and not being given much answers or any context as to what his mission is. For me, it works.
Simon as a character is utterly tragic the moment we meet him. Known by others as "Simon the Butcher" to due what he was convicted for, he volunteers for this expedition with the promise that he would earn his freedom, only to realize that wasn't going to happen. He goes through the wringer multiple times in various ways throughout the whole movie, physically and psychologically. Even if the creature in the blood ocean wasn't hunting him down, the dawning realization that he traded one prison cell for another hits hard the more time goes on. The scene where Simon is devastated when learning that the people above who put him there don't even know his name, never bothered to learn it, is heartbreaking. He was just a sacrificial lamb for the sake of research, nothing more.
I think that's what makes his ending, as tragic as it is, so profound. He chooses how he wants to go out, and that's by self-sacrifice through the act of utter defiance, taking the creature with him and hopes that the blackbox he saved and secured makes it to the surface for someone, anyone, to retrieve.
The story itself is simple, especially since the majority of the movie is filmed on the SM-13 set, and yet there's so much going on underneath the surface. The world-building, the cosmic horror and body horror, the religious themes and imagery throughout (which, holy shit, that is deliciously crunchy), I was very immersed by everything. And truly, I can go on for some time discussing Simon and the other characters and the world they inhabit, because this is pretty meaty shit that I've stumbled into via fan discussions and metas surrounding it that I just love to bite my teeth into.
Overall: Irong Lung was quite an experience to have without having much context or knowledge of it beforehand. Mark did a fantastic job, both with his acting and with his creation of this movie in general. This was a passion project for him and it truly shows by how much love and care was put into it. Just from the behind-the-scenes footage and photos posted, everything with handled with love of the craft and love of the game and the story being told. I love that it's a physical set that was built for the SM-13, the attention to detail of every aspect, the use of practical effects of simple camera tricks. This is an independent film, of course, but just seeing some of what was done really demonstrates that creativity on this level is unmatched. So yeah, it goes without saying that I adore this movie. I obviously watched this because of Mark, the same way I did with The Edge of Sleep, but just like with that series I wasn't prepared to be completely immersed with the story. It was so good.
And in a fascinating discovery, fandom has been crossing over Iron Lung and Project Hail Mary, as both stories shockingly share many similarities, with the contrast being mainly in tone and genre -- one being more optimistic despite the dire situation while the other being nihilistic in a horrifyingly bleak situation with only a sliver of hope being possible. Fandom crossovers are a rare breed these days among certain fandom spaces so seeing this emerge has been an utter delight. Simon and Ryland Grace are also a pairing that came out of this, as well.
Iron Lung is an independent science fiction horror movie and an adaptation of the video game of the same name, directed, written, and starring Mark Fischbach, also known as Markiplier on YouTube.
The story is set in a future where humanity has colonized space, however a mysterious event called "The Quiet Rapture" had entire planets and stars disappear, leaving behind only space stations and ships where the last remaining members of the human race are doing what they believe is necessary to preserve humanity, no matter what the cost. Mark plays a convict named Simon who, after being promised freedom if successful, goes on a lone mission in a welded closed submarine on a strange newly discovered moon covered in an ocean of blood, and he discovers that there's more to this mission than he was initially told, and that something down there is hunting him.
Prior to this I knew absolutely nothing of the game or its plot. I went into this movie completely blind, and I'm so happy that I did.
First and foremost, I want to say that this story is totally right up my alley. It's a slow-burn, intentionally so, in a claustrophobic environment and we're slowly learning the information along with Simon as he discovers things. If you're unfamiliar with the game as I was going in, it adds more intrigue and curiosity to what is going on, and plus the cosmic horror element and body horror galore especially towards the end, it was the perfect recipe for what I look for in a story like this. I've seen comments about how slow it is, which may not work for some, however I have no problems with that personally. It's appropriately done to set the pace, to allow environmental storytelling do it's job. Mark even made the mention that he didn't want to just go instantly into the action, he wanted to remain true to the game and how it showed the monotony of what Simon was going through, to feel his growing frustration and boredom through the isolation and not being given much answers or any context as to what his mission is. For me, it works.
Simon as a character is utterly tragic the moment we meet him. Known by others as "Simon the Butcher" to due what he was convicted for, he volunteers for this expedition with the promise that he would earn his freedom, only to realize that wasn't going to happen. He goes through the wringer multiple times in various ways throughout the whole movie, physically and psychologically. Even if the creature in the blood ocean wasn't hunting him down, the dawning realization that he traded one prison cell for another hits hard the more time goes on. The scene where Simon is devastated when learning that the people above who put him there don't even know his name, never bothered to learn it, is heartbreaking. He was just a sacrificial lamb for the sake of research, nothing more.
I think that's what makes his ending, as tragic as it is, so profound. He chooses how he wants to go out, and that's by self-sacrifice through the act of utter defiance, taking the creature with him and hopes that the blackbox he saved and secured makes it to the surface for someone, anyone, to retrieve.
The story itself is simple, especially since the majority of the movie is filmed on the SM-13 set, and yet there's so much going on underneath the surface. The world-building, the cosmic horror and body horror, the religious themes and imagery throughout (which, holy shit, that is deliciously crunchy), I was very immersed by everything. And truly, I can go on for some time discussing Simon and the other characters and the world they inhabit, because this is pretty meaty shit that I've stumbled into via fan discussions and metas surrounding it that I just love to bite my teeth into.
Overall: Irong Lung was quite an experience to have without having much context or knowledge of it beforehand. Mark did a fantastic job, both with his acting and with his creation of this movie in general. This was a passion project for him and it truly shows by how much love and care was put into it. Just from the behind-the-scenes footage and photos posted, everything with handled with love of the craft and love of the game and the story being told. I love that it's a physical set that was built for the SM-13, the attention to detail of every aspect, the use of practical effects of simple camera tricks. This is an independent film, of course, but just seeing some of what was done really demonstrates that creativity on this level is unmatched. So yeah, it goes without saying that I adore this movie. I obviously watched this because of Mark, the same way I did with The Edge of Sleep, but just like with that series I wasn't prepared to be completely immersed with the story. It was so good.
And in a fascinating discovery, fandom has been crossing over Iron Lung and Project Hail Mary, as both stories shockingly share many similarities, with the contrast being mainly in tone and genre -- one being more optimistic despite the dire situation while the other being nihilistic in a horrifyingly bleak situation with only a sliver of hope being possible. Fandom crossovers are a rare breed these days among certain fandom spaces so seeing this emerge has been an utter delight. Simon and Ryland Grace are also a pairing that came out of this, as well.
no subject
The Iron Lung/Project Hail Mary crossovers kind of baffle me to be honest. I hadn't thought of seeing them as stories in conversation with each other though, and that makes more sense! I think mostly I was confused that people would ship Grace with anyone but Rocky, but maybe that's a me problem, lol.