Telling yourself "This is bigger than us" proves to be an essential survival tactic in "Iron Lung." Not only for the doomed protagonist of the sci-fi film, trapped in a rusty submarine and forced to explore a literal ocean of blood to gain his freedom, but also for the diverse audiences confronting YouTuber Markiplier's grueling and ambitious directorial debut, which finally arrives in theaters this weekend.
In this harrowing single-location thriller, adapted from David Szymanski's 2022 horror video game, filmmaker and star Mark Fischbach (known online as "Markiplier") traps viewers alongside him in the role of Simon, a prisoner aboard the Eden space station. Following a catastrophic event known as the Rapture Silence, humanity's last stand is merely the starting point of a project that demands endurance before offering immersion, ultimately revealing both the promise and peril of large-scale creator-led video game adaptations. At times, the 36-year-old director seems to mistake fan loyalty for unlimited attention span, and risks alienating his young audience with a nightmare that is admirable but likely too demanding for that demographic.
Director: Mark Fischbach
Writers: Mark Fischbach, David Szymanski
Stars: Mark Fischbach, Troy Baker, Elsie Lovelock
As an influential figure in the world of video games, Markiplier's commitment to a faithful adaptation is absolute in spirit, but nearly impossible to execute when dealing with a work as opaque as "Iron Lung." The main character is an unnamed avatar in the original game. Neon-green digital screens, dripping blood, three-ring binders full of technical instructions, and endless close-ups of the navigation system give the film a tactile realism, but rarely spark the imagination. The result is less pretentious than painfully earnest, a film that believes so deeply in its process that it neglects cinematic pacing. “Iron Lung” runs over two hours, leading to a series of baffling editing decisions (Markiplier also handled the editing) that turn suspense into stagnation.
That length exposes Simon as the film's main weakness. Written as an expanded version of the player character from the video game, he never quite becomes a person despite being played by a globally famous internet personality. His guilt over a mysterious incident at a place called Filament Station and his capacity for violence as an apocalypse survivor are hinted at rather than explained, making Simon more of a vessel than a hero. The script relies heavily on exposition—internal monologues, disembodied intercom voices, and hallucinatory flashbacks—to communicate a story that could have resonated more powerfully through action or environment. Some of the game's most evocative text, which blends cosmic horror with humanity's loss of faith in itself, is drowned out by this verbal density.
Markiplier's performance, earnest and likable but insufficient to make Simon a fully realized character, exacerbates the problem. Separated from his online platform, the film's star reveals himself to be an actor still acquiring the tools necessary for emotional subtlety. It relies on subtle facial expressions that don't quite land, and his genuine frustration, peppered with expletives, creates a certain connection with the character.
That said, it also underscores how much of Markiplier's appeal on YouTube comes from reacting to external challenges. The self-aware masochism that makes watching him play difficult or terrifying video games so compelling doesn't translate well when he's the architect of his own haunted house. Simon exists in "Iron Lung" against his will, and that disconnect gradually suffocates its protagonist.
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