Iron Lung (2026) is a Trippy, Claustrophobic Nightmare!
Imagine, if you will, being trapped in a submarine down in the deep oceanic abyss. There’s nothing but the vast and deep seabed that stretches on for miles and miles, and without your vessel, you’d be as good as dead. Does this sound peaceful? Then I envy you for your courage. But perhaps your courage will be tested by this indie horror flick. Based on the video game of the same name and written, directed, and executive produced by and starring Mark Edward Fischbach, known more famously as “Markiplier” on YouTube, comes the deep-sea horror that is Iron Lung.
In the distant future, humanity has colonized space but is on the brink of extinction. A secret organization called the Consolidation of Iron “asks” Simon (played by Markiplier), an inmate serving a life sentence for murder, to explore an ocean of blood on a nearby moon. If he completes the task, humanity may have a chance at expanding their odds of survival. But more importantly to Simon, he will be granted his freedom. Simon sets off in the submarine called the “Iron Lung” and manages to find a skeleton on the ocean bed. After snapping some photos of it, he is extracted, only to be sent back to retrieve a fragment. Simon reluctantly agrees and successfully completes this task. However, something grabs hold of his submarine, and his oxygen and hull become compromised. With no way of escape, Simon can only hope he doesn’t run out of oxygen as he struggles to remain afloat and alive.
I have been anxiously waiting for Markiplier to make his official film debut when I heard a Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF) movie was in the works. And he was almost cast as the security guard, but unfortunately, Mark was too busy making Iron Lung. So, was his passion project worth it in the end? Well, even though both movies are very different, they still have one similarity: they both struggle to balance their respective game lore with the actual plot. There is so much lore Mark tries to fit into a single movie that’s just shy of two hours long that you occasionally feel lost. But Iron Lung does a better job at keeping its focus on the present, whilst using the game lore to heighten the story’s emotional aspects. We see how Simon’s past crimes and trauma are brought to the surface and slowly begin chipping away at his already deteriorating mental state whilst he’s fighting for survival.
What Iron Lung does exceptionally well is how it keeps its plot relatively simple. The entire film takes place in a single submarine while Markiplier slowly goes insane. Ask anyone with thalassophobia, or the fear of large bodies of water, and they’ll tell you just how terrifying it is to be trapped in a metal coffin in the middle of an ocean. Now factor in that this is an ocean of blood, full of entities that could kill you, and suddenly, you have a proper horror movie. You can feel Simon’s unease and fear increase with every passing minute. We never see exactly what’s outside his submarine, but what glimpses we get are nothing short of pure Lovecraftian nightmare fuel! Markiplier does an exceptional job integrating atmospheric liminality with psychological horror to create a truly terrifying experience. I credit this to his lifelong experience playing first-person survival horror games like Amnesia: The Dark Descent and FNAF on his YouTube channel (he’s known as the “King of FNAF” for a reason). He truly understands that sometimes you have to show less in order to accomplish more.
At the same time, when the movie does decide to dial things up to eleven, it doesn’t disappoint. Iron Lung has some of the most effective and realistic special effects I’ve seen in a horror movie! Everything, from the fake blood to the sickly, black veins spreading across Simon’s body as he’s being fused to his submarine by the entity, looks incredibly gory and realistic. This is absolutely remarkable for a movie made on a budget of only $3 million. Additionally, I’m also impressed with Markiplier’s acting. He’s come a long way from his early years on YouTube, and his performance is far more palpable compared to some of his previous projects. You could feel Simon’s desperation as he struggles to cling to any semblance of his sanity, the quiver in his voice as he slowly comes to the realization that there will be no return journey to the surface. Mark easily conveys Simon’s subtle and more nuanced emotions as he slowly loses his sanity, while sprinkling in bits of the more loud and rambunctious persona he’s used to playing on his channel with raw, unhinged, and unrestrained charisma.
This wouldn’t be a Markiplier project without absolutely trippy and bonkers footage complete with Mark freaking out. I’ve already seen my fair share of it in his show The Edge of Sleep, so I wasn’t surprised to see it here. And honestly, this is where the film truly starts losing me. Markiplier brought back an old-school film technique, a relic of the film industry I thought would never see the light of day again since Fast and Furious 7: shaky cam. And boy, does the climax have this in abundance! This, coupled with plenty of close-up shots, only sends you into a dizzying frenzy while you attempt to make sense of the entire climax. It’s not nearly as egregious as some films (looking at you, Cloverfield), but it certainly becomes distracting and nauseating.
Despite not being perfect, Iron Lung is an exceptional first film for someone whose rise to stardom is through YouTube. Markiplier proves that he can not only make entertaining YouTube videos, but also he has what it takes to make it in the film industry. For horror fans and for Markiplier fans, this movie will be a trippy, claustrophobic, and chaotic ride from beginning to end. If you ask me, Iron Lung’s success was well worth the FNAF movie’s…booboos. If you’re on the lookout for a unique horror movie that blends Lovecraftian horror, thalassophobia, and the slow-burn trickle into insanity, then Iron Lung may be just the movie for you!
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