Iron Lung (2026)

Punching well above its weight both in terms of budget and premise, Iron Lung successfully creates a suffocating environment and an authentically grim world.

The story is thin, staying true to the narrative simplicity of the source material. This is a strength, as it allows a certain amount of latitude in storytelling. The source idea is of course very bizarre but still strong: the universe has gone dark, planets stripped of life, and only a splinter of humanity remains, drifting among the stars. The best part? There are moons covered in oceans of blood. None of it tells a whole story but it’s not meant to: it creates the insane world in which a blood submarine becomes a practical idea and then shoves us inside.

Mark Fischbach’s performance as a prisoner named Simon vacillates between hammy and strikingly sincere. His roots as a YouTube star are apparent in his performance, but that is not an altogether bad thing. By the end, Fischbach manages to sell some pretty over-the-top material with great effect. Additionally, the material on hand matches both of these modes of acting quite well. The entire premise is completely over-the-top and it’s fitting that the performances should match.

The practical set of the submarine is well rendered in a number of ways. It closely resembles the interior of the submarine from the source material, down to the placement of the brutish camera button and its corresponding screen. The space is claustrophobic but suffers from no shortage of creative angles and vantage points by which to observe Simon’s descent. Perhaps most importantly, nothing about the craft looks trustworthy; it appears to have been hastily welded together from old parts, possibly salvaged from previous failed missions.

Blood is used well in conjunction with the set; as the film progresses it can be seen dripping from the walls and machinery of the submarine. It’s not just the vessel that is suffocating; it is the ocean around you, actively trying to drown you in blood. This becomes even clearer later in the film, as the submarine begins to fail and take on massive amounts of blood.

The film should be applauded for the amount of screen time featuring only one performer. Such roles are uniquely challenging, both for the performer and for the audience. Iron Lung uses the isolation to its advantage, further building upon the already strong oppressive atmosphere.

Iron Lung is ultimately a guarded success, both as a video game adaptation and as evidence of the skills of an incoming filmmaker.