Lillith Dunn, Editor-in-Chief
eSomethin staff
On January 30, 2026, “Iron Lung” released to 4,100 theaters globally. The movie, an adaptation of the indie horror game, “Iron Lung,” by David Szymanski, continues its theater run as a whopping success. With a domestic box office earning of $40,996,062, and a worldwide box office of $50,603,970, the movie made 16.9 times its budget.
Mark Fishbach, better known as his Youtube moniker Markiplier, directed the movie as his debut film. He also wrote, starred in, and edited “Iron Lung” alongside directing it. The adaptation had no major advertising outside of Fishbach’s promotion on his platform, yet still had a great opening weekend, even achieving number one movie in America above Sam Raimi’s “Send Help” for two days.
However, with the origins of the movie in mind, it begs an important question: is it actually good?
The Story (no spoilers)
“Iron Lung,” both the game and the movie, takes place in an apocalyptic future. In this world, all of the stars and habitable planets have disappeared in an event called the “Quiet Rapture.” The story follows the Convict, who is tasked with exploring an ocean of blood in a submarine in order to be released from his sentence.
The movie starts with a bang so sudden that you aren’t sure if the previews in the theater have ended. Andrew Hulshult’s score rings out, deep bass and unsettling sounds surround you as we open on the Convict. There is no time to think, no time to get settled in for the movie as it begins. It simply shoves you in, and you have to adapt, just like our main character.
Immediately, I am impressed by the set. While I know only the basics about the game itself, I do know enough to see that the set is incredibly accurate from the game. Not only that, but the set is dark. Of course, that makes sense, as the sub is welded shut and there is no other source of light. And while it may look cool, the lighting is a double edged sword that I will discuss later.
Next, the acting. The interesting thing about “Iron Lung” is that you only ever see three or four people the entire movie, and most of them are only for a ten minute span of the movie. For most of the story, you only see the Convict. Now, some people would be concerned that only seeing one character for two hours would get tiring. I was one of those people. However, I was wrong.
Fishbach is an incredible actor. He is engaging and makes the Convict feel human. He makes quips, comes up with creative solutions for problems, and all around seems like a person just trying to deal with the situation they’ve been put into. It amazes me that Fishbach managed to find a balance between focusing on the Convict and his ideals, while still building the word around him through conversations over the speaker in the submarine.
Finally, the camera work. The way the set is built and how the movie was filmed makes it feel deeply claustrophobic. You, as the viewer, don’t leave the submarine. You can only see what the Convict sees, either through the photos he takes or through the tiny window of the sub. Not only that, but there are constant closeups and dutch angles that make you feel just as trapped as the Convict does.
Of course, it is a hard balance to maintain. The claustrophobia of “Iron Lung” is effective in building dread (the main form of horror the movie uses), but has the negative effect of making the scale of the sub hard to figure out on a first watch. This is only a small downside, however, and the tradeoff of building suspense far outweighs it.
The Plot (spoilers from this point until the conclusion)
One of the most interesting parts of “Iron Lung” is the series of twists and reveals that build the plot and tension. For a first-time movie director and screen writer, Fishbach has a surprising amount of talent in this regard. There are multiple instances of odd reveals that I wasn’t sure why they happened. In the end, though, it all comes together in a big, horrifying conclusion that makes you realize the true scale of the problem the Convict is facing.
The camera the Convict uses is an interesting mechanic throughout the story, especially knowing that it is irradiating him every time he uses it. The Convict uses it constantly as his source of light in the dark submarine, despite knowing the danger. Along with this, the subtle detail of the submarine being too hot due to the radiation shows the amount of research put into the film.
Another major twist is the conversation the Convict has with “another submarine”. The acting is amazing from both sides, but especially on Fishbach’s. The rage, the grief, the exhaustion are portrayed so flawlessly that you feel truly absorbed into the movie. And yet, the twist. Now, personally, I am not a huge fan of the “I never told you my name trope.” I think there are better ways of executing a twist, and that it is often over done in media. And I still hold that opinion, even with Iron Lung.
However, this is one of the better executions of the trope I have seen. Not only does it reveal Simon’s name in a casual way (which, I my opinion, adds on to the humanity of our protagonist in an already deeply emotional scene), but also instantly drops the mood.
Fishbach also does a great job of creating doubt and confusion, both through his acting and through his directional choices. We don’t know if Simon is hallucinating, if it is the monster talking to him, or if it is all a dream, a facet that gives the viewer uncertainty throughout the rest of the film. The camera changes from Simon to the speaker constantly, creating a sense of instability and queasiness, especially towards the end of the film. And of course, the raw emotion during these scenes shows how much talent Fishbach has as an actor and as a writer.
The main tone throughout the entirety of “Iron Lung” is grim determination, a theme which Fishbach portrays incredibly well throughout the film. Even before he speaks, you know simply though body language that this character wants to survive. Then at the end of the film, with the haunting message, “this is bigger than me,” you feel the tone shift to desperation, simply through little changes in body language and the score.
The biggest critique I have with the movie is the “double edged sword” I mentioned earlier: the lighting. The issue with watching a dark movie in a dark theater is that when the camera lights up the submarine, the audience gets flashbanged, causing shock and disorientation. This happens constantly throughout the beginning of the movie, and I never got used to it. I understand the point of the disorientation, but at a certain point it becomes a major annoyance for the audience. If the flash had been a little less bright or loud, then there would be no problem.
Secondly, the major fight of the movie. Without a good source of lighting, it was really hard for me to tell what was happening to Simon. What was he fighting? What exactly was sticking to him when his arm got pulled off? Was it the blood or something else? As amazing as Fishbach’s acting was, I had a hard time telling what he was fighting against, leading me to be less invested in the scene, and to leave the theater with more questions than answers. If the sub had been lit a little bit better, it would have been much easier to discern what was happening.
Conclusion
Overall, for being the first movie Fishbach has directed and released, it was solid. The acting was incredible, the set accurate, and the camera work well executed. Of course, there are some issues with plot execution and lighting, but that is to be expected with someone’s first silver screen project.
“Iron Lung” is a great proof of concept for indie filmmakers going forward, though. Without any major film studio behind him, large scale advertising, or the respect of Hollywood, Fishbach was able to make a movie that reached number one on the charts for two full days. “Iron Lung” is not some average product only popular because of the name of a famous Youtuber, it is a well-made film fueled by passion. So yes, “Iron Lung” not only deserves the praise it receives, it earns it.
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