With over 38 million subscribers on YouTube, Mark Fischbach — better known as Markiplier — is easily one of the most recognizable faces in the gaming community. It’s no surprise, then, that his debut feature film, Iron Lung, has been a massive hit at the box office, especially for an indie production with a relatively low budget.
The film’s success has sparked a debate over the phenomenon of “YouTuber movies,” a mostly pejorative term associated with films made by Smosh, Logan Paul, and Shane Dawson. However, the attitude surrounding this expression has started to shift after recent films such as Talk to Me, made by twin YouTubers Danny and Michael Philippou, and Shelby Oaks, made by YouTube movie reviewer Chris Stuckmann, proved that YouTubers can craft movies with artistic merit.
Whatever someone’s subjective opinion on Iron Lung may be, it’s undeniable that the film falls into the latter category due to the sheer amount of passion behind its creation. Adapted from David Szymanski’s 2022 indie video game of the same name, Markiplier wanted to keep his movie as close to the original story as possible out of his love and respect for the source material. On top of starring in the film, he is also the director, writer, and editor. The enormous effort Markiplier put into this project demonstrates that it came from a sincere place, rather than just being a cash grab.
The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic future, where a prisoner named Simon is stuck on a submarine and forced to explore a “blood ocean” on an alien moon — an aptly named collection of displaced blood. The fact that the film takes place in one location alone has its benefits and drawbacks. On the one hand, the enclosed space adds to the sense of claustrophobia and dread, with the outside world only being visible in brief yet haunting flashes. On the other, the submarine set begins to get stale after a while, and the lack of new environments becomes increasingly agitating as the film progresses.
Another major issue holding the film back is that Markiplier is practically the only actor on-screen for the entire runtime. For someone with relatively little acting experience, it is an unimaginably difficult task to single-handledly carry the movie. He gives a respectable attempt — he particularly nailed his comedic line deliveries and demonstrations of frustration — but struggles to sell key emotional moments that stood to either make or break the film. A truly amazing actor would be required to pull off this material, and, while surprisingly good, Markiplier is not amazing.
The film’s final significant downside is the pacing. Coming in at two hours and five minutes, its runtime is almost twice the length of the video game. The act of playing the game is incredibly stimulating because the player is the one actively solving puzzles and progressing through the story, but it’s easy to find oneself bored when watching someone else go through those same motions. A large portion of the movie consists of Simon grunting incoherently while working through menial tasks, which can be particularly confusing if you’re not familiar with the game’s story. At times, it can be hard to tell what Simon is even trying to accomplish, so his triumphant highs and frustrating lows have substantially less emotional impact.
One aspect that the movie nails is the technical elements. It’s very well-shot, and Markiplier uses a lot of unique camera angles to enhance the off-kilter vibe. For something this low-budget, it’s impressive how good the movie looks. It also perfectly embodies the spirit of cosmic horror. Filled with unsettling, borderline indecipherable imagery, the movie clearly understands how to instill the fear of the unknown into the audience. There’s one incredible slow-motion sequence that features the most breathtaking visuals in the entire film, showing that Markiplier knows how to craft great standalone scenes — even if the complete package doesn’t quite come together.
The last half-hour of the film is absolutely disorienting — and what the rest of the movie should’ve been like. It’s pure chaos in the best possible way, as Simon scrambles to figure out how to escape the ship while being covered in a formidable amount of blood. Even though it’s almost impossible to make sense of what’s happening, the climax is thrilling to watch if you embrace the pandemonium. Additionally, the use of gory practical effects during one scene is immensely creative. So, while most of the film is sluggish, it’s bound to leave you feeling satisfied by the end.
Iron Lung is, without a doubt, a film with many glaring flaws, but it’s an admirable debut with a lot of heart. Markiplier’s tremendous passion for the game shines through, culminating in a final product that’s difficult to hate. He still has plenty of learning left to do, but it’s a promising start to a potentially prosperous filmmaking career.
