If you’ve been on the internet in the last almost fifteen years, then you’ve likely heard the name Markiplier. The YouTube gamer, also known as Mark Fischbach, has turned videos of him screaming at horror games into a channel with an audience of millions. While he’s branched out in the past, with projects like his “one year only and then its deleted” channel Unus Annus and a variety of “choose your own adventure” webseries, his fascination with the indie horror game “Iron Lung” is what pushed him to branch out into making a full theatrical length feature film adaptation of that lovecraftian work.
“Iron Lung” stars Mark as Simon, a convict imprisoned after his role in destroying a space station. As his sentence, he’s been forced to pilot a submarine, nicknamed the Iron Lung, to the bottom of an ocean of blood on a desolate moon. What he’s looking for and what else is in the ocean with him is unknown. All he knows is to follow the instructions of Ava, played by Caroline Kaplan (“Proof,” “The Plot Against America”), his captor and leader of the dive. But the deeper he goes, the less clear things become and the more he suspects he’s beginning to lose his mind.
Whatever expectations one might have for a typical studio film are likely completely different than the one Fischbach has made here. Written, directed, starring, and completely self-financed by Fischbach, “Iron Lung” is clearly the film he wanted to make, warts and all. Surprisingly for a first film, the warts are less apparent than one would think, manifesting in particular choices rather than egregious technical mismanagement. For example, when most others attempt a low budget horror film as their first feature, they likely go for the shoestring budget slasher. Fischbach certainly hasn’t done that here.
“Iron Lung” is rife with discomfort and cosmic horror, closer to Lovecraft and Cthulhu than Freddy and Jason. The very concept of an endless, unknowable ocean of unspecified blood seems like something right out of Lovecraft’s playbook, and Fischbach takes great care to maintain a slow, uneasy tone for the film. Things never speed up or go for deliberate jumpscares. Rather, when those times do occur, they’re to supplement the already established atmosphere. That’s the big word for this film: atmosphere. Set in just one location, the titular submarine, the film is carried by its shocking impressive and detailed production design and practical effects. It’s a feast for the senses of those willing to dive into a film with this kind of tone.
What is far more divisive though is the film’s runtime and pacing. As previously stated, this is Fischbach’s film through and through, so there’s no one to blame but him for the two-hour-and-five-minute runtime. That’s only half a joke, as wide swaths of this film embrace a nearly silent perspective watching Simon navigate the bottom of the sea. It isn’t lacking in plot or revelations, but when you’re confined to just one location for the entire film, you can only go so long before even your most entertained viewers start to fidget in their seats. Those moments still have the same level of care and attention the rest of the film has, but it’s not hard to see a version of this film with ten or fifteen minutes sliced off and being just a smidge better.
Fischbach is, of course, the star of the film whether he wants to be or not. The fact that he’s essentially the only visible actor on screen means that all eyes are on him for the entire runtime. And he manages to do fairly well for someone with his level of experience. While he has acted before, in his aforementioned webserieses, they aren’t anything like what he’s required to do here. And for his skill level, he does quite well. He has a presence that draws you in and keeps your attention, effectively transfusing the atmosphere to the viewer through his disheveled look and perturbed demeanor. Like the film itself, it’s a performance of surprising quality.
While his YouTube moniker might have gotten butts in seats to a degree which no one was expecting (the film went from 60 theatres in the U.S. to over 4000 globally and an opening weekend of $17.8 million), the quality of the film itself is what will carry “Iron Lung” to an audience far outside of his internet fame. This is an engrossing and different kind of indie film, with a commitment to its production design and craft that clearly shows the love and attention behind the camera. It’s long and isn’t the smoothest ride, that’s for sure. But for those who’re looking for this kind of cosmic, otherworldly vibe, come on in; the blood ocean water is fine. 4/5