‘Iron Lung’ exhales much needed breath of fresh air into tired Hollywood industry
In an age of multimillion dollar movies, heavy AI usage, overused and washed up special effects, and poor writing, Youtuber Markiplier (Mark Fischbach) is changing the game, and threatening Hollywood, with his newest movie Iron Lung. With Iron Lung, Markiplier makes the ambitious leap from a content creator on YouTube to a full-on filmmaker and director. Adapted from the indie game Iron Lung, created by David Szymanski, the film leans into the isolation, mystery, and physiological portion of the original without getting bogged down in nitpicking the actual gameplay. What makes Iron Lung compelling is its ability to execute an amazing, confident movie that changes the traditions of cinematic narrative.
Iron Lung, the game that inspired the film, is a cult classic that puts the player into a tiny, rusted submarine on the blood planet AT-5. The game and movie do a quick job of giving the player the grave situation of what's happening across the galaxy. The “quiet rapture,” as the game calls it, has put the entire human race on a dead end path of extinction. Planets and stars are disappearing without a trace, even whole solar systems gone in the blink of an eye as every ounce of the galaxy has to be explored to figure out what's causing the “quiet rapture.” In the game, players are tasked with piloting this tiny sub through an ocean of blood, where they must go to points of interest and take photos of them using a small black and white camera that’s attached to the outside of the vessel.
The movie begins just like the game as the convict/player Simon ( Fischbach) is told to pilot this small, suffocating submarine through the ocean of blood, gathering photo evidence that would help explain what happened to this planet. As the quest continues, Simon starts to struggle mentally and physically against what he thinks he’s witnessing vs what he’s not. Simon starts to fight his inner demons as he struggles to pilot the ship while possibly running away from something that could be hunting him. Throughout the movie, the viewer learns that Simon is in this sub to gain his freedom and get back to live a normal life again, as promised by Ava (Caroline Kaplan, Monsoon Wedding), a woman on the intercom working for whichever agency, or company sent Simon down to explore At-5.
The film does a great job of showcasing the deep mistrust Simon has with Ava and the balance of power that keeps their worlds essentially real. This additionally adds to the paranoia Simon feels throughout the whole movie, setting up its tone as a psychological thriller as the audience waits to see if the mental battles Simon faces will overcome him in the end.
Markiplier’s acting, filmmaking, and directing enhance Iron Lung to a unique level, leaving many critics to wonder if this movie could succeed in theaters as the entire film depends on if Markiplier is actually a good actor or not. He shatters these doubts as he does an admirable job portraying a man fighting for his sanity and life while trapped in a small, seemingly never ending situation. Viewers start to slowly feel for his character and root for Simon with the hope that he will survive. Additionally, Markiplier’s director of photography, Philip Roy, does an excellent job at setting the mood, using a vast number of angles, different shots, and closeups in moments where Simon is seeming to break from the tension and paranoia.
Although Markiplier does an amazing job, turning a 30-minute indie game into a two hour-long movie leaves room for errors. There are some instances where the scene feels dragged out longer than needed. Also, some of the dialogue felt a little cheesy and over the top; while a little levity lightens the horror loaf, too much saccharine cloys the cinematic taste buds.
Iron Lung may change the game of Hollywood filmmaking, as Markiplier has already turned a paltry budget of $3 million into worldwide grosses of $30 million, essentially proving that content creators can make amazing movies without the large budget of Hollywood. This psychological thriller keeps viewers guessing and makes the viewer feel immersed in the isolation, mystery, and paranoia the storyline pushes so hard for. Iron Lung’s ability to keep viewers compelled through a two-hour movie, based on an originally 30-minute game, is fascinating, and showcases the true potential Markiplier has as a filmmaker and director, leaving viewers excited for the next story this YouTuber decides to get his hands bloody with.
Grade: A
With Iron Lung, Markiplier turns a tiny submarine and an ocean of blood into one of the most tense movies of the year.
by Logan Auxier
Published March 2, 2026
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