Iron Lung (dir. Mark Fischbach)

by Jack Martin | Jan 31, 2026

Certificate: 15

Running Time: 127 mins

UK Distributor: Markiplier Studios

UK Release Date: 29 January 2026

WHO’S IN IRON LUNG?

Mark Fischbach, Caroline Rose Kaplan, Seán McLoughlin, David Szymanski, Troy Baker, Elsie Lovelock, Isaac McKee

WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?

Mark Fischbach (director, writer, editor), Jeff Guerrero and Will Hyde (producers), Andrew Hulshult (composer), Philip Roy (cinematographer), Marc Schneider (editor)

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

In a post-apocalyptic future, a convict (Fischbach) is sent on a terrifying mission in deep space…

WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS ON IRON LUNG?

Mark Fischbach – or, as the masses on YouTube know him, Markiplier – is kind of the perfect person to be making a video game movie. One only needs to look at his numerous “Let’s Play” videos to see that he has passion and a half for gaming, which is more than can be said about a lot of other filmmakers assigned to bring certain games to the big screen, and as someone who plays for a living he clearly understands not just the basic gameplay structure but also how the most effective stories often come from something so (mostly) simple.

All of which is presumably why Fischbach’s first feature as director, writer and editor is an adaptation of Iron Lung, an independently-created horror game created by David Szymanski that Fischbach replicates with as much enthusiasm as he would whilst actually playing it, and in a lot of places shows himself to have some keen filmmaking skills. However, in a lot of other places there are certain missteps that unfortunately prevent the film from fully embracing both its contained environment and its overall impact.

The film is set in a distant future where humanity has colonised space, but a mysterious universe-wide event known as the “Quiet Rapture” has caused stars and planets to suddenly vanish, apart from a handful of moons including one that comes with an ocean made entirely of blood. It is into this very ocean that a small submarine named the “Iron Lung” is dropped, its only passenger being a convict named Simon (Fischbach) who has been tasked with descending into the depths of the blood and retrieving a biological sample from a giant skeleton, seemingly in exchange for his freedom. However, when the mission goes south and Simon is trapped in the bloody depths of this ocean, he experiences an increasingly vivid set of hallucinations and further psychological complications as he tries to survive.

As a first-time filmmaker, Fischbach displays an admirable confidence behind the camera, especially in how he makes the most of his limited setting. We are trapped along with Simon inside this submarine for the entire film, with the only glimpses of the outer world being through what little can be seen outside a giant round window, as well as via briefly lit photographs captured by an X-ray camera, one that’s powerful enough to actually see through all the thick blood. But the director, along with cinematographer Philip Roy, still manages to create a decent sense of atmosphere within this claustrophobic location, often through the use of wide-angled cameras placed in the corners in addition to some eerie flash lighting (much of it courtesy of said X-ray camera) that brings about an intense feeling of dread and menace, which adds to the intensity as both Simon and the viewer grow ever more distressed as a result of their pressured environment, as portrayed through impressive set design that evokes the likes of Ridley Scott’s Alien in its analogue and almost archaic technology.

In terms of performance, Fischbach is clearly also comfortable being in front of the camera, especially after years of fronting his own YouTube channel, and as the only person we ever see on-screen for most of the film, so much of Iron Lung and its emotional engagement really does rest on his shoulders. Luckily, he displays fine acting chops which create a compelling screen presence, his deep booming voice and gruff dishevelled look going well alongside his character’s brokenness, giving the viewer enough of an idea about his backstory to form some kind of connection with him as he experiences more and more psychological distress. Sometimes, Fischbach goes a little too over-the-top in scenes of anger and frustration, and despite what little we can pick up about him Simon isn’t exactly a fully-defined character, but there is plenty to admire about how the performer harnesses his screen persona to dramatic lengths that show great promise not just as an actor but as a filmmaker.

But despite all of that, Iron Lung doesn’t entirely work as a whole. A major cause of this is the editing, which creates an almost terminally slow pace that drags out moments far longer than necessary, bringing the movie to a bloated two-hour runtime that could easily be trimmed down by at least a half-hour. Fischbach clearly wants his film to be more of a slow-burn, but neither the situation nor the environment supports that mentality, and there’s only so much of this submarine we can explore before it all starts to feel old. As a result, it’s surprisingly very easy to zone out during this movie, especially during a second half where things get a lot more disorienting in terms of atmosphere and narrative, to a point where you’ll miss certain plot points due to either lack of clarity or simply an inability to pay attention during your growing disinterest.

The lethargic editing sadly brings the film down a few pegs, because while there is a lot to admire about Iron Lung in terms of how it’s shot and performed, especially within such a confined setting, the pacing does leave you feeling rather bored. That, quite, unfortunately makes this otherwise promising debut feature a bit of a forgettable one. If nothing else, though, it does show that Fischbach has plenty to offer in the wider spectrum of filmmaking than just his Markiplier videos, and if given more chances could be nurtured into a natural big-screen talent. But good lord, does he need to hire an actual editor.

SO, TO SUM UP…

Iron Lung is an admirable yet flawed debut feature by Mark Fischbach, who as both a filmmaker and performer shows a keen eye for suspense and visual intensity, but his lethargic editing and subsequent slow pacing makes it very easy to feel disinterested and even bored during a lot of it.