And you snatch your rattling last breaths with deep-sea diver sounds…
Wait. Sorry. That’s “Aqualung”, the 1971 track from Jethro Tull. This page is about Iron Lung, the 2026 film, which is about “Iron Lung”, the 2022 video game. Well, then, let’s begin, shall we?
Iron Lung is just about as much a self-made film as you can make. Mark Edward Fischbach, known to the YouTube world as “Markiplier”, originally played the game for his fans on his YouTube channel, and loved the experience so much he bought the film rights. He then wrote the film, financed it, directed it, starred in it, edited it, and self-released it. To say it’s a passion project is an understatement.
I’m not a big fan of cinematic adaptations of video games. The first one I remember was the Bob Hoskins / John Leguizamo goof-off Super Mario Bros. (1993). Not a very noteworthy start. There have been dozens released since then, few of which I’ve seen. I’m also not a huge user of YouTube, and had no idea who Markiplier was. So, how did I come to see Iron Lung? Well, I do have kids. When Iron Lung was releasing to theatres, Markiplier called out to his fans and followers to please go see it, and my teenagers answered the call. My oldest daughter saw it twice on the big screen, and has since purchased it on YouTube.
The background lore, about a “quiet rapture” that has made every star and planet in the universe vanish, is faithful to the original game but largely irrelevant. Markiplier plays a convict named Simon (who is unnamed in the video game), who is tasked with exploring an ocean of blood on a distant moon, in a mini-sub that has been welded shut and has no windows. Why a convict? Because this shit is dangerous, and there are far too few humans left. Those top-side believe that the key to survival of the human race exists somewhere in the depths of the blood ocean. If the convict finds something useful, he is promised his freedom. Otherwise, the mission is his execution, the sub his permanent tomb. The only way to see outside is a strange camera that uses some form of x-ray radiation to image the depths. The camera display screen also provides one of the few sources of light on board the tiny ship. He takes commands from a small team of people on the surface via intermittent radio contact, and must navigate by coordinates alone, following a crudely-drawn paper map. Eventually the convict comes to realize he is not alone on the ocean floor.
The film takes place almost entirely within the tiny, rusty sub, with the exception of a few seconds of flashback memories. The entire experience of watching the film is the constant claustrophobic environment of the ship and the slow descent into madness of its pilot. These elements are handled extremely well by Markiplier, especially considering this is his first effort as a filmmaker. He takes meticulous care in creating a set and atmosphere authentic to the experience of the game. He even acts well – his slow-building terror is believable, and we the audience want to scream along with him.
If you’re expecting a heavy plot, there isn’t one. And the bizarre ending will leave you with a stronger “what-the-fuck-just-happened” feeling than Event Horizon (1997) or The Black Hole (1979). But its running time of 125 minutes moves pretty quickly, and you’ll stay engaged through most of it. No real jump scares, no big revelations, just two hours of slow-building terror and confinement panic that will make you really want to stand outside for a while after watching it.
Markiplier is planning a physical media release on DVD and Blu-ray, but no date has been announced yet. And, of course, he is planning to release these himself, independently.
