I think the reason people say Iron Lung is """"boring"""" is because of immersion. Some people, often the more critical kind, go into things unwilling to engage with it and looking for flaws at every turn. They START the movie already resisting immersion. This is a thing people do with anything, not just movies. But if you go into the movie hoping to, y'know, enjoy it, you're more willing to throw yourself headlong into it.
All the little cutaways are a very indie thing to do, and if you're not immersed and just waiting for something big to happen, I could absolutely see how they make the film seem more boring. Critics also seemingly feel like this because the standard in filmmaking is that "every shot must accomplish at least 2 things" to justify it's place in a medium that has a pretty short watch time, all considered (even long movies are much shorter than the time it takes to complete most video games, novels, comics, etc.). So I could see where someone might think they were pointless time-fillers. However ☝️I do not think so. I think they DO, in fact, accomplish at least 2 things!
Building tension. I'm not claustrophobic but even I felt the oppressiveness of being stuck in that tiny tin can for days. These shots serve to draw out the experience, to make minutes feel like hours. Additionally, every drop of blood rolling through the cracks is a reminder of what will not allow itself to kept safely at bay. Of what wants in.
Being a peek into Simon's state of mind. I don't think literally every cutaway represents Simon zoning out, but in general I think they do force the viewer to experience some of the mental fatigue and dreadful boredom he feels. It's such an agonized ADHD moment when it's like hour 3 of a thing you don't want to be doing and you're just staring at the wall lmao. I could imagine myself, in the Iron Lung, hour 3, 4, 5 or 72 just staring at the condensation and blood rolling down the pipes instead of paying attention to the controls.
So I guess I talked myself out of it and the shots actually are boring. But that's the POINT. Boredom is more dreadful than terror for many humans, and in the Iron Lung it would drive one insane as surely as the fear or the sea itself.
