“Iron Lung” score — B
Using the Chef Ian Brutalfoods system

“Iron Lung” is not a masterpiece of the horror genre, however it is a breath of fresh air in a landscape of cookie-cutter features.

It only takes looking at the trailers that played before my 3:40 pm screening to see how “Iron Lung” differs from usual Hollywood fare. Each of the features previewed were action-packed, fast paced, with a majority belonging to a franchise; a new “Ready or Not,” a new “Hunger Games” &c.

These trailers were edited to compete with a phone for attention, throwing out jumpscares and blood as a king throws out ha’pence to the crowd.

In comparison, length was the greatest attribute of Mark Fischbach’s film, which forced audiences to sit with very little stimulation for long periods of time, becoming passengers of the Iron Lung in the process; thus is the film an immersive experience without the pitfalls of a theme park attraction.

However, this length does not always feel earned. The film follows many conventions of Chamber drama, however leaves out the most important aspect, that being development of the characters. Simon (the pilot of the Iron Lung) despite glimmers of a past given by the screenplay, remains startlingly opaque throughout.

The greatest moments come when Simon acts as an every man, trying to work out a problem with nothing but his own intellect and the supplies available to him. This comedy of errors is effective character-work, and reveals Fischbach’s strengths, even if the screenplay does not always support them.

The screenplay, despite lacking in some departments, makes up for it in an understanding and appreciation of the source material. Iron Lung is an adaptation concerned with doing it right. It trusts that what people love about the video game can translate directly to film, and the only changes come from the necessary demands of the medium.

This prodigious dedication to accuracy may seem like a flaw, however it is a great asset for a film living in the same landscape as “A Minecraft Movie,” a movie criticized for its disingenuous interest in the video game from which it derives its name.

In conclusion, Iron Lung is a B grade film, whose greatest successes are also its greatest flaws. The film is well worth watching.