The Iron Lung movie is scary — for audiences and for Hollywood

Reporting by Polygon notes that Mark Fischbach bypassed the movie industry with his surprising new film. Iron Lung opened in thousands of theaters on Jan. 30, rocketing to a $20 million opening weekend and a #2 spot in the box-office rankings; early in the weekend it briefly seemed like it might come in at #1, outpacing Send Help from Sam Raimi, Rachel McAdams and 20th Century Studios.

The film has only been reviewed by a few established outlets, and some critics have griped that it lacks tension — a point the review contends misunderstands the movie. The film, adapted from the game, centers on convicts sent to explore a horrific ocean of blood on an isolated moon.

Simon (Fischbach), accused of a terrorist act he says he didn’t commit, is condemned to descend in a tiny, creaky submersible to bring back images from the sea floor. The movie is claustrophobic: limited lighting, still-frame camera images and the use of a camera flash to see into the sub amplify the protagonist’s isolation as his vessel and mental state disintegrate.