I’ve been following the progress of Markiplier’s (aka, Mark Fischbach) Iron Lung since it was announced. Well, to be fair, really since he first played the game by David Szymanski three years ago. The game has the right kind of narrative for adaptation.  The big question was always, can an OG YouTube star cross over into mainstream movie popularity? And, is it any good?

• Directed By:Mark Fischbach
• Written by, Mark Fischbach, David Szymanski
• Starring: Mark Fischbach, Caroline Kaplan

Before we get to the review, we need to talk about the more important topic. Iron Lung was completely self-financed by Mark.   Full disclosure: I do watch his channel from time to time. As such, I’ve been able to follow the progress of the movie.  It’s been a wild ride, complete with more on-the-job training than anyone could imagine and probably an excessive amount of hospital visits.

The Path to Release

Regular viewers also got to see some hints of the hoops that distributors tried to make Markiplier jump through to get the movie released. At some point the success of Edge of Sleep a streaming show he had a starring role in was leveraged against a potential deal. The benchmark that was set was intended to demonstrate that Mark’s fanbase was robust and dedicated enough to drive profitability. However, from a 3^rd party perspective and not having all the details, I find fault with their methodology. Edge of Sleep was released to select non-international markets on Amazon shortly before the release of a blockbuster Amazon produced TV show.  With only word of mouth marketing, there was very little chance of pulling in casual viewers and international audiences were SOL.

All of this really just reinforced what may have been the original premise, and reason for self-financing, writing, directing and keeping as much control as possible. The game is rigged.  If you aren’t an established HOLLYWOOD creator with a proven track record or some other pedigree, there is a very small window of opportunity to get in.

Did Iron Lung Change That?

Yes and No. Iron Lung is a important moment for independent filmmaking. The face that anyone could step outside the system and make the impact that Iron Lung did is impressive:. – a $17 million opening and $26 million total as of writing this.  People will take notice of this, and they should. 

The important lesson here, and I feel the need to call this out because Hollywood is amazingly bad at learning the wrong lessons, is that the sources of our entertainment have changed.  A year or so ago, there was a reoccurring conversation about the “death of the movie star”. Now, you have a movie that made $17 million off the popularity of one man. Sorry David Szymanski, the game is cool and full of amazing ideas, but this is Mark’s show.

This also means that this isn’t something that just any streamer could pull off. Mark has years of experience making narrative content. In Space was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Interactive Media. He’s also made other interactive shows,like A Heist with Markiplier, A Date with Markiplier, and Who Killed Markiplier.  

He’s a man who has demonstrated success with his vision and the necessary ability to bring people together to accomplish a goal. He has a built-in rabid fanbase and he’s willing to self-finance. And yet, he struggled.

What chance does someone without his resources have? Will his success make investors or distributors more likely to take risks? Or should people get used to hearing, “but you’re not Markiplier”? I know what I’d put my money on, and it’s not the one that ends up with a new era of brilliant indie filmmakers getting funds.

Um Ghoul Was the Movie Any good?

Does it matter? It exists. Against all odds, in a system stacked against creativity and ingenuity, an indie movie based on an indie game got a mainstream release.  Celebrate that.

Yes. It Matters. Review the Damn Movie.

Iron Lung is probably one of the more faithful video game adaptations I’ve ever seen. This makes sense, since it’s a project driven by the love of the concepts. You can tell it’s not from a financial motive.  The movie uses the game’s core mechanic, the lone camera on a sub, to build and hold suspense.  

Yes, the movie is a little long, and the beginning is a little slow. These are all familiar issues when you have a sole director/writer. The story is not as explicitly spelled out as some people may like. I didn’t have any issues with how the narrative unfolded. It could have been trimmed down. But for me it’s more valuable to get an unfiltered view of a first-time creator’s vision. Especially since we almost never get this kind of opportunity.

What I really liked was the character that was developed for the layer Character, Simon. The game lore makes him a convict trying to earn his freedom by going on these expeditions.  The movie expands this and wraps the themes around his arc.

Iron Lung is about survival, sacrifice, and hope. I’m not going to spoil the movie. What matters more than how it ends, is that it had something to say.  

It’s also visually impressive. I’m a ghoul that loves creative camera work, and Iron Lung looks great. In a closed environment, this is important.  There is one scene that visually didn’t work for me. Otherwise, it’s clear that the director values visual storytelling.

Final Thoughts

Look, it’s not going to be a movie for everyone. It’s cosmic horror, which can be a hard sell to begin with. And it’s really a one-man show. If you don’t want to watch just Markiplier for 127 minutes, you’re not going to have a good time.  I believe it’s a movie worth supporting, not just because of what it could do to the industry, but because it’s a good film.   

Iron Lung is now in theaters.