Iron Lung

Iron Lung is the debut feature film from the YouTuber Markiplier, real name Mark Fishchbach. His opening offering is an adaptation of a horror indie game by David Szymanski. 

In the distant future, humanity is on the brink of extinction due to an event known as “The Quiet Rapture.” A convict (Markiplier) is sent on a mission to explore a blood ocean in a crude submarine. When in the ocean, the convict makes an extraordinary, but disturbing discovery. 

Iron Lung is already the surprise hit of 2026. It was initially set for a limited release, but was expanded after the release of the first trailer. It has already made a huge profit from its $3 million budget. Iron Lung’s success shows that audiences are craving films from new voices. My screening was busy at 8:30 pm on a Sunday. 

Iron Lung had an intriguing premise. The idea of The Quiet Rapture was a mix of Lovecraftian horror and Doctor Who (particularly the episodes “Utopia” and “Midnight”). The setup allowed for a lot of essential dread. The opening narration summed up how dire the situation was: “too few to rebuild, too many to feed.” Markiplier ensured his film had a bleak, oppressive tone, and since it was set in a small tube, it was a claustrophobic film. Markiplier clearly wanted to emulate classic sci-fi films like Alien, Silent Running, Event Horizon, and Moon because of the tight, industrial settings. 

Iron Lung nailed the atmosphere and tune, which made it an effective sci-fi horror experience at times. However, it was also an indulgent film, even with its limitations. It was a staggering two hours, seven minutes long, when the concept would have worked best as a short film. Feature films set in a single location are typically only 90 minutes long. The convict had a limited view of the world, as he was confined to a submarine and spoke to people through a speakerphone. The role required a skilled actor, and well, Markiplier was not a professional actor. 

It was a film that suffered from world builder’s disease. There was a lot of lore and backstory, which meant there was a lot of exposition. A video game can get away with this because a player could make discoveries and find collectables. These can be rewards for diligent players. The film could have simplified the story by focusing on The Convict’s mission, but simplification probably would have alienated fans of the game. 

As the film progressed, The Convict did lose his grip on reality, which ended up making Iron Lung overly confusing. It led to thoughts of ‘what the hell is going on.’ There were also mysteries that were set up just to complicate the narrative. The Convict was piecing together the puzzle, a process that would be more interesting if people got to play it rather than watch it. 

Markiplier shows he does have potential as a filmmaker, and Iron Lung did have some virtue, but it was unable to overcome a thin plot told over a long time.