Markiplier’s ‘Iron Lung’ proves independent filmmakers can top the charts

Humanity is on its last leg. Every known star has died. Our only hope is to find a habitable planet among the few left in the universe. In Markiplier’s “Iron Lung,” it’s up to a convict to navigate through an ocean of blood to save our species from extinction.

Directed by notable YouTube personality Mark “Markiplier” Fischbach, the horror film “Iron Lung” premiered on January 30. Markiplier has always shown a passion for filmmaking, highlighted by projects in the past such as “A Heist With Markiplier,” “In Space With Markiplier,” and “The Edge of Sleep.” However, after a playthrough of the film’s 2022 video game predecessor, “Iron Lung” quickly stood out to Markiplier as the perfect story to adapt into a feature film for his directorial debut.

“Iron Lung” follows a prisoner, Simon (Markiplier), who is sent in a submarine to traverse an alien planet. He must navigate through an ocean of blood, in order to find… something. We’re not exactly sure what yet. His vessel, the Iron Lung, is a nearly impenetrable empty tube. His field of vision confined to just an x-ray camera that takes five seconds to capture a picture. As you may expect, Simon is not truly alone on his mission in this steel cocoon.

Similar to movies such as “12 Angry Men” and “The Guilty,” “Iron Lung” was shot almost entirely in one location. Despite this, the film brings a sense of cosmic horror, easily putting the audience into Simon’s perspective: terrified by unexplainable entities. The limited setting lets the audience’s imagination run wild with what could possibly be occurring. Additionally, the practical effects in this movie were beyond incredible. The grit and grain of the machines in the vessel perfectly matched the film’s dystopian aesthetic. With its small indie budget, you’d think the ocean of blood would just resemble red water, but the blood in the film was surprisingly realistic. On his YouTube channel, Markiplier said the team used so much fake blood, over 80,000 gallons, that the first order had to be transported by semi truck.

Unfortunately, the film isn’t flawless. At times, it ran exhaustingly slow. I found myself dozing off in the theater as Simon struggled to operate the submarine for hours. It could have been edited down significantly. However, every time the plot slows down, it picks up a few moments later, walking a tight line of keeping you engaged.

Unlike almost any other movie you’d see in your local theater, “Iron Lung” was entirely independent and self-distributed. Markiplier said on his channel that the film started small, with only 50 or 60 theaters pre-negotiated before release.

“We reached out and we talked to people that wanted the movie, and we convinced them,” Markiplier said.  “They were either believers, or they had fans that were working there, or they understood it, or they were willing to just take a chance on it.” 

The vast majority of the film’s advertising was through word of mouth and Markiplier’s content alone. Eventually, interest grew to the point where 240 additional theaters requested to show the film. Considering its small liftoff in comparison to mainstream films like “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” “Zootopia 2,” and Sam Raimi’s “Send Help”, it’s astonishing that “Iron Lung” has managed to beat them out to top the charts its first weekend. 

What “Iron Lung” has achieved is an inspiration to independent filmmakers around the globe, proving it’s still possible in the modern day to make it big without succumbing to studio control. 

I’m giving “Iron Lung” a 7/10, and currently it’s second on my list of 2026 movies. Despite its faults, I recommend giving “Iron Lung” a watch, if for no other reason than to support independent filmmaking.