A Win for Horror and Indie Filmmakers: Markiplier’s “Iron Lung”.
Film Review ★ Kenzie Gay ★ @kenzwrites ★ 6 Minutes
*please note that this article contains spoilersIt’s just barely February but 2026 is already off to an unbelievable start for the world of horror movies and its fans - myself included. Last year gave us Weapons, Sinners, Bring Her Back, Frankenstein, and plenty of others which will be hard to beat but Iron Lung, the recent independent horror film funded, directed, written, edited, and produced by Mark Fischbach, better known by his Youtube handle Markiplier, may give all of them a run for their money.
On January 31st, it hit theaters after years of hard work from Fischbach and his loyal crew. A film adaptation of the video game with the same name, Iron Lung is specifically an eldritch horror that explores the cryptic universe and design of the original game. It stars Fischbach as Simon, a convict being used to collect samples and information from a blood ocean after he was imprisoned for the destruction of a space station. It takes place on a moon named AT-5 in the aftermath of something known as “The Quiet Rapture”: a mysterious, near-future event that wiped out most of the universe.
(left) Iron Lung promo poster (right) Markiplier, photographer unknown
From the opening scene, viewers are tossed into the dark though alluring world of Iron Lung through Simon’s eyes as he traverses the blood ocean from inside a submarine (nicknamed Iron Lung) equipped with bare minimum supplies, a camera to see through, a mic and speaker setup for communication, and a far too simple navigation system. He is promised that if he completes this mission of exploring the blood ocean, he’ll be set free. On the surface, it seems to be a pretty open and shut deal that only a fool would turn down but he soon finds out just how intensely dangerous and inequitable it really is.
It’s slow but not in a boring way. It builds in a swelling, anticipatory manner that tugs at viewers’ own intrigue through subtle but thrilling enough clues that signal the true risk Simon has gotten himself into. From the discovery of a skeleton on the ocean floor to the team on the surface’s odd adamance that he should return to it upon coming back up, Iron Lung drops enough easter eggs to avoid confusion while simultaneously keeping us eager to learn more. Simon’s character is also brought more into light, a contrast from the original game, as he battles with his own guilt and fear.
This is showcased several times but especially when he falls into a rage at the surface after being made aware that they’re sending him back down. Since it wasn’t part of the deal, he falls into a frenzy of angered slamming, swearing, and he eventually punches the camera’s button just to elicit a reaction from the surface crew outside. This leads to him getting ridiculed, as the camera is equipped with x-ray technology so it can pick up imagery through the thickness of the blood. With the newfound knowledge that he just contaminated a group of people, more than likely sealing their fates, Simon is struck with a melancholic shame that lingers within his decisions and motives for the remainder of the film. It’s a small glimpse into who he really is. He isn’t just a coldhearted convict like the surface team makes him out to be. He is a person, a human being, with thoughts, feelings, and more morality than originally depicted.
Things pick up from a slow burn to a more rampant, discovery-based tone after Simon is sent back down. He finds audio logs from a past pilot, indicating that he was lied to about being the first to be sent down in the iron lung. He also confirms that an unknown, living creature resides within the ocean. His concerns are neglected by the surface team and he is eventually knocked out when trying to collect a sample. Throughout this entire sequence, we watch as he is put through utter torment while he gradually loses his touch on reality.
Down the line, Simon encounters another submarine labeled SM-8 but it is wrecked beyond repair and he is unable to access its data. A woman he has not yet spoken with before speaks to him through the iron lung’s communication system and she tells him about “a godly light” that sits below the ocean. Simon believes he is hallucinating this entire exchange because he has a vision where the sub is destroyed shortly after. In this vision, Simon breaks the ocean’s surface and sees a giant eye filling a stormy, red sky. When he wakes up from this vision, he is finally back in contact with the commander from the surface (though he doesn’t know how or why it’s fixed). She reveals to him and consequently, the audience, that he’s been MIA for days and she has no idea how he’s survived this long since his oxygen should’ve run out awhile ago. This adds yet another layer of suspense and impending doom to the mix, which is deepened even more so by the commander’s pushy desire for Simon to return to SM-8 to recover its data with her credentials.
Though they go back and forth about this, the commander and Simon reach a climax within their standoff when she reveals that the data in SM-8 is crucial to humanity. She also makes a move to showcase her own morality by revealing her name to him: Ava. He shares his own name with her and she agrees to come rescue him herself if he complies. Thus, he agrees despite the increasing amount of blood and foreign matter that continues to seep into the iron lung and the fact that his arms have become cracked and blistered as if he is infected with something.
By some miracle, Simon is able to reach SM-8 and access its data. Within its data includes audio logs that confirm the ocean’s blood is in fact human - which makes things that much more sinister. The submarine continues to fill up with more blood and Simon realizes that Ava let alone anyone else will not be able to rescue him. Ava apologies and pleads with him to protect the data whereas the woman’s voice from before urges him to destroy it. The juxtaposed requests instill a sense of conflict within Simon and viewers watch as he’s torn between logic and what appears to be reality. In the film’s final moments, we see Simon struggle through blood and a vast amount of monster-like fleshy matter that congests both the sub and his own skin.
He ties the black box containing the data to a life vest then he performs one final act of heroic sacrifice by sabotaging the sub so that its hull will fail under pressure. He knows it's his last moments and he finds peace in that as the creature bites into the iron lung. The ship explodes, taking Simon and the creature with it, but the final frame indicates a victory nonetheless as we are left with a visual of the life vest floating on the surface - with the black box unharmed.
From its opening weekend alone, Iron Lung has grossed over 20 million dollars in the box office. It’s a fantastic take on eldritch horror but even more so, it’s a huge win for independent filmmakers who have constantly been told to play by the rules of high-budget, exclusive Hollywood. It’s already being used as a beacon for filmmakers everywhere and for those of us who are tired of having everything spelled out for us within various forms of media. Iron Lung balances mystery, gore, storytelling, and horror itself rather brilliantly, instilling hope within the masses for the future of the genre.
As of publishing, Iron Lung is still available to see in select theaters. You can find tickets below alongside links to keep up with Mark Fischbach/Markiplier and his future endeavors.
