Iron Lung

Best known for his horror video game playthrough videos on YouTube, Mark Fischbach, aka Markiplier, makes his debut on the silver screen with Iron Lung, an indie horror movie inspired by the game of the same title. Entirely written, directed, edited, and starred in by Markiplier, this self-funded film broke all box office expectations and exploded in popularity across the world. The inspiring game was released in 2022 by David Szymanski, who was involved in the production of Markiplier’s adaptation film. Iron Lung follows a convict, Simon, played in the film by Markiplier himself, who has been sent to explore a post-apocalyptic sea of blood in a metal submarine in search of any precious resources that may lie below. This film’s astounding success was not just due to Markiplier’s dedicated fan base, but also to how true Iron Lung stayed to its source material.

The film follows tropes typical to both traditional and indie horror experiences. Simon’s journey into the sanguine depths is marked by flashes of unnaturally large skulls barely visible on the submarine’s X-ray camera, supernatural voices and visions that claw at Simon’s guilt-ridden psyche, and plips of blood echoing in the Iron Lung’s barren hull. The ominous clangs and shudders of the submarine in an ocean that should be barren of any life create a tension-ridden atmosphere familiar to the everyday horror fan. The underlying context of indie horror is also wildly apparent to the viewer throughout t he latter parts of the movie where we find fear and unease in our absolute confusion of the ineffability of blood and light. While you may not always understand exactly what’s going on, this sense of loss allows us to further sympathize with Simon’s terror and confusion. Despite its lack of clearly resolved answers, this novel film can be appreciated by both veteran horror fans and scaredycats (me) alike. It will soon be published on streaming services and DVD, so be sure to check out this amazingly bloodcurdling independent film that smashed all box office expectations. 

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Sasha Jayne is the current Editor-in-Chief of the INDY. Their true loves and passions are metal and punk music, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and wearing excessive amounts of black clothing.