The film is an adaptation of the 2022 indie horror game of the same name. Set in a post-apocalyptic world called "The Quiet Rapture," the story follows a prisoner forced to venture into the blood-red ocean, piloting a rusty mini-submarine in search of remaining natural resources.
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It's like a blind box game. I heard it's adapted from a game, and the Letterboxed rating is pretty high, so I just went for it. I didn't even watch the trailer, so I'm really confused. I roughly know the main quest flow, but I don't understand the world view at all. Why is this data so important? (Maybe I missed it when I went to the bathroom.)
The visuals and setting are very distinctive, and it feels similar to Ash from a while ago. It's definitely ecchi, but there's no explanation; it's all just mental pollution. But you could say that's just how it is (??)
Two hours was really unnecessary. Except for one hour when my bladder was about to burst and I was about to leave, and the last ten minutes which were a bit of a treat, the rest of the time was just a waste of time. The stage was so small that it was like a burial, there really wasn't much room for the performance. And the male lead's self-rescue was basically non-existent, he was just biting the air the whole time. Everyone was a mystery person. If they had explained things earlier, the audience wouldn't have been so confused along with the protagonist.
But I do really want to play games; watching a blood-soaked sea of blood on a big screen would be quite thrilling.
In the end, it always ended up like this, and I don't know if it was due to lack of oxygen, blood loss, claustrophobia, or trauma that led to mental illness.
Finally, it rusted into Silent Hill, a bloody mess where nothing could be seen clearly, but that part was the most thrilling.
The male lead looks like an East Asian Gosling; the glass is cracked like a tree of life.
Adapted from the horror game of the same name, this film's actual effect is quite magical—it straddles the line between tedium and originality. While viewers find it creative, they can't ignore the director's wooden acting. This acting flaw is amplified through two hours of almost monologue-style filming, resulting in a negative effect even more severe than Tommy Wiseau's performance in *Room* (2003). The biggest challenge in making this film was handling the plot development within such a confined space. In this respect, *Buried* (2010) and *Fog* (2005) serve as good precedents, but this film doesn't quite manage it perfectly. We can certainly see that the director tries to avoid monotony by constantly changing angles and switching shots, filming every angle and angle within the small space. Despite this, the repeated use of empty shots still feels somewhat tedious. Overall, the expressiveness is rather weak.
The most satisfying aspect of *Iron Lung* lies in the protagonist's gradual transformation into a tool. He is afraid, but no one cares; he is lonely, but no one cares; he wants to live, but no one cares; only by becoming a highly efficient information-gathering tool, completely merging with the submarine both physically and mentally, can he earn an ending for himself, even if that ending is neither happy nor fulfilling, but at least it can finally come to a close.
The costumes, props, lighting, cinematography, and acting all exuded a confidence slightly beyond their actual capabilities. Considering it's a low-budget, fan-oriented cult film directed and starring a YouTuber, it's hard to expect more. Mark Ruffalo's immense love for the IP sustained the arduous journey of a one-man show within the cabin (for both the lead actor and the crew), but this overflowing energy made the sluggish pacing and repetitive shots feel excessive; it could easily have been condensed to 90 minutes. Fortunately, after being dominated by Cleopatra-esque horror until the end, there was finally a release of gore, allowing everyone to experience claustrophobia and hemophobia. Afterwards, the back row even applauded enthusiastically in gratitude.
This concept is just too good to be true. It combines apocalyptic horror, deep-sea horror, claustrophobia, and even some kind of Kleptomaniac-style psychological pollution, plus the visceral horror of a blood-soaked sea. If the world-building could be explained a little more clearly, it would be even better. Support markiplier!