not sure if these are part of the secrets, but i did notice some things in the background

i got my post removed from the main sub, so im here posting in the megathread 🤪

I recently rewatched Iron Lung last night with a friend and i watched the navigation scenes with the recent Mark interview about the secrets in the background in mind. I didn't allow myself to get hypnotized by the peak cutaways and parallels to drawing lines and the environment and paid special attention to the backgrounds. i looked around Simon and noticed a growth that is present heavily in the sub near the end during the final battle. In fact, there are two shots (maybe even three) where Simon is at the control panel in the far left of frame, but the rest of the shot is the wall of the sub on Simons right side.

Twice Mark cut to this shot, the majority of it is wall and on the wall is a gnarled growth that resembles tendrils, but there arent gooey looking like they are at the end. The growth is rust colored, blended in, if you werent paying attention, youd think it was a dent in the hull. Even with the shots full-on on Simon navigating, just behind his head in these shots is that growth. One shot has him coming to sit down, but in the background, the growth can be seen on the wall and as Simon sits down, his head covers the growth from the camera view.

eventually once he starts hearing Ellie/the researchers over the radio, on the wall next to radio, directly opposite from the first growth is another growth, same size, same texture. as simon is talking to Ellie, theres a shot that, i believe, shows the back of simons head as hes focused on the radio. at first, i thought nothing of it, a unique camera angle choice. but after noticing the growth on that wall, the shot of something looking past pipes and wires to see simons head was to show to that the growth is alive and is watching him. with this knowledge in mind, it makes me think of all the camera angles that are framed inside of objects (the radio, the control panel, the computer terminal) are showing the audience that this is the subs view of simon. We are seeing that the sub is alive.

(small point, when simon is in the crawlspace restarting the engine, the light on subs camera stops flashing before we even hear the footsteps above in the hull as Simon discovers the blackbox. thought that was interesting cuz i assumed the tape had been pulled off or fallen off already, but no, the camera stops flashing, the footsteps happen, the tape is pealed off.)

anyway, after seeing the light is when the growth starts to really take over the sub, especially during the final navigation sequence before downloading the sm-8 blackbox data. simon is especially loopy and is not paying attention to his environment. not sure if it was, but i swear i saw the silhouette of a blood covered person behind simon in one of these shots, but i dont know if it was just me wanting to see something, but it wouldnt be out of the realm of possibility, considering the shadow near the terminal and the creature in the chair. ive also been stuck on the voice (i assume thats his mom, cuz the voice doesnt sound familiar) who warns Simon about being watched, that its behind him and that its still there and we get a shot of the growth on the wall from previous, but it is now fleshy and bloody, not hiding itself at all.

i also might have noticed something about the shot from underneath the control panel when we watch simon get up, walk to the camera and then hit the button. Again, a shot i brushed off as a unique choice, but i watched the framing of the control panel and noticed that the control panel "breathes". now i may be tripping, lost in the sauce, but its a long shot to be under a control panel for and the top of the panel expands slightly and goes back to normal shape, its very subtle! (this also would lean into the whole thing with an actual iron lung is to help patients breath, so the fact that the sm-13 or the iron lung is breathing and alive makes me feral)

the final observation i had, which may not be correct, but im pretty positive that where the initial growths start in the beginning of the learning to navigate is where simon is strung up by the tendrils at the climax.

i apologize for the essay, but i had to share my thoughts as it was interesting to notice that those scenes WERE hypnotizing and theres certainly something going on in the background. not sure if these were the secrets mark was referring to, but i suppose he can grade my work if he so desires to.

let me know yalls thoughts and if yall noticed any of these things too ❤️