My opinion/analysis on the franchise
Here’s my opinion and analysis on both the film and the game. This is my personal interpretation. Please feel free to disagree. And If you have another perspective, please do share! It would be cool!
Iron lung (the film) is the story of Simon, a convict with a checkered past trapped within a submarine in an ocean of blood. his descent into an ocean of blood reflects a descent into his own organic psyche in a way, because as he descends he experiences increasingly severe hallucinations, and a voice calls to him that may not be so human after all.
he is sent on a mission he belives to be pointless, collecting strange objects at the bottom of the blood ocean. It’s the only known potential source of maybe anything of value, though that value may be displaced. He is told his mission is everything, worth human life, but ultimately he dies aboard the iron lung despite his best efforts to survive. His survival is deeply important to him, but the non-biased indifferance of the universe as we know it simply makes no exceptions for him. not out of malice, or punishment for his crimes, but because that’s how it is and else. It is only other humans who condemn him and punish him on this quest that might ultimately mean nothing, or very little in the grand scheme of things, showing both judgement from humanity (the only thing worth living for as a human in an empty world) and indifferance from the universe at large.
a beast talks to him, seemingly mirroring his own doubts and fears back at him. it’s design is made up of other humans, suggesting many have gone through Simon’s fight and lost many times before. wether the creature truly is a godlike being is unanswered and honestly irrelevant. while flashy and grandiouse, this story remains a markiplier one man show at it’s core.
There is a clear godlike being in the film, but it doesn’t seem to be presented as omnipresent. and the blood eel seems to be related to it in one way or another, likely an amalgamation of a previous crew who ended up in a portal. while the lovecratian horror is present, the film uses it as an avenue to communicate the messy and unfair nature of the universe.
simon holds on to a seed from the last tree of eden, a cult he followed. it is a source of purpose and a reason to keep going while also being a symbol of hopelessness and guilt. this contridiction, and the desperate fight to survive, define his central inner battle.
simon shows many signs of humanity in the film. drinking all the water on accident because he was dehydrated, being perceptive and smart, and most importantly, showing signs of empathy. At the same time, it’s implied heavily he has killed many before. He is a complex character tormented by hope, denial, and the human selfishness of the need to survive no matter what.
iron lung is not a 10/10 movie, but in my opinion it is a 10/10 experience for me personally. Despite the simple script, the themes and subtext stand strong and it’s easy to imagine this being a cult classic.
I also love the game Iron Lung. Listen, a lot of people do. for the cult appeal. I like it for the gameplay on top of everything else. not a lot of people like the gameplay. it feels like work, not fun. but it is satisfying in a way like solving a math problem is. I suck at math. Anyway, cool game. Gameplay is tedious in a good way, and it mirrors the themes. You do a mindless (but also extremely mindful) task of following coordinates in a little metal box. it’s a worthless, meaningless task that asks your attention as if it does matter. That’s great game design. It’s like an hour long, maybe slightly longer if you’re slower. Good stuff. It’s like experiencing the movie. The two are great companion pieces.
So the Iron Lung Franchise? What can I say? It’s peak.
And here’s a little bonus note personal to me. iron lung was a game i wanted to play high because i used weed religiously to enhance emotion and intensify experience. but it scrambled my focus and ruined the game the first time i tried it. The game taught me that being sober can still create meaningful experiences. I had forgotten that. So this game personally is an awakening for me.