Iron Lung official press poster Markiplier Studios
Can a career of recording yourself playing video games translate into writing, producing, and starring in a feature length film? For YouTuber Markiplier, the answer is a resounding yes.
Released Jan. 30, 2026, “Iron Lung” is the first film in Markiplier’s (Mark Fischbach) filmmaking career and is a direct adaptation of the 2022 indie game of the same name created by David Szymanski.
Overall, I enjoyed the film a lot.
Is it a remarkable piece of its time? No. Is it the worst movie I’ve ever seen? Far from it. It’s simply a good film.
The story follows humanity through the fallout of an event known as the “Quiet Rapture”—a moment when moons, stars, and even planets suddenly vanished, leaving humanity on the brink of extinction.
Only space ships and stations survived, so the remaining humans began conducting missions to explore the few ruined moons remaining in search of samples of life to ensure humanity’s survival.
We follow one of these humans–a convict named Simon. Sent to an “ocean of blood” on a barren moon as punishment for his crimes, Simon mans a submarine alone.
Joined by various voices through an intercom which cut in and out as he loses connection, a lot of the film is just us, Simon, and the “Iron Lung” he calls home.
Simon knows the same as us about his mission, that being little to nothing. This elicits a sense of dread which is enhanced by his own emotions.
With that comes what I’d say is the film’s strongest aspect: its ability to build suspense. There are countless moments where Simon slowly comes to a realization only to then realize he was too late in acting. This makes the film constantly feel like it’s leading to a distressing situation.
The sounds provided by the setting only serve to enhance isolation. The groaning creeks of the metal hull, the constant ticking of the sub’s instruments, and the occasional drip of blood leaking in all give the sense that something is approaching.
Throughout the film, Simon is pursued by a grotesque creature which occasionally attacks his sub and his mind. Slowly falling into mental and physical turmoil, he argues with himself as to what’s real and whether or not he’ll be able to survive.
While the film tries to make us feel sorry for Simon, it also makes it clear that he is not a good person. The revelation of his crimes later in the film mixed with flashbacks and many interactions he has all characterize him in a bad light.
In regards to the film’s origin, Markiplier became inspired to create the film after playing the game in his 2023 YouTube video.
I haven’t played the game, only watching Markiplier’s video prior to my viewing of the film, but from what I watched it is a very faithful adaptation. While faithful, the film also builds on much of what the game leaves out, diving us deeper into the universe.
While this is an incredible accomplishment, it can also be what makes the film fall flat for some.
Those who have played the game or watched playthroughs will love this film. For those unfamiliar with both, it may come off as confusing.
Another area that made the film fall off, the setting took away from my ability to process what was happening. As every voice outside of Simon’s comes to fruition through a static-filled intercom, flashbacks, or in his mind, it can be very hard to understand what is being said.
There is intention with that to play into the sense of dread, but the unclear dialogue did become distracting.
Overall, this is an incredible starting point for Markiplier and his filmmaking career.
I very much enjoyed the movie, but it’s not something I would recommend to everyone. If you are interested, I would start by playing the game yourself or watching his initial video, then view the movie so you have a clearer understanding.
Iron Lung is playing in theaters now and will be released on streaming following its theatrical run.
**Correction: photo, caption, and source added 2/20/2026**