A Review of Iron Lung

Full disclosure: I’ve been subscribed to Markiplier on YouTube since 2014, when I got mononucleosis and was in bed for two weeks. I was so weak I couldn’t even play my own video games, so I caved and watched someone else do it. I’ve been a fan ever since.

That said, I am also very picky and critical when it comes to movies. So you may take this review with a grain of salt, but a small one. Perhaps a grain of popcorn salt, which is much finer than, say, kosher salt.

Anyways.

Iron Lung is a movie now. It started as an indie horror game, and that is how Markiplier, internet goofball and ambitious creative happened upon it and decided to adapt it with a budget he provided on his own. Mr. Iplier is no stranger to video production—other than producing and editing his own “let’s play” he has produced two sizable choose-your-own-adventure style projects for YouTube, and produced and acted in a serial adaptation of The Edge of Sleep, based on a podcast of the same name.

The story follows a prisoner named Simon who is serving a sentence in a futuristic world following an event known as the Quiet Rapture, in which all stars and planets have disappeared, leaving behind only those aboard spacecraft and space stations. He is given an opportunity to commute his sentence by embarking on a perilous mission aboard a rickety submarine called the Iron Lung, which brings him to the depths of an ocean made entirely of blood on a mysterious moon. Using only sonar, coordinates, and a single camera, he is to gather as much evidence of what lurks below the surface as possible for the research scientists charged with studying this bizarre place. But when he discovers evidence of alien life on the ocean floor, his task becomes more dangerous and more important than before, and Simon’s life is now at stake along with his liberty.

As a game, Iron Lung gained a cult following for its unique mechanics—the player is in an enclosed location, unable to see outside the submarine because the portholes have been welded shut. The only glimpses of the world around you are supplied through the flash of a camera that briefly illuminates the sites you are asked to record. Sonar navigation and a map with minimal detail act as the player’s eyes as they explore the map, and the only warning to avoid crashing into something comes from a beeping sound and a light on the side of the compass where proximity to a rock (or… something) grows near. This creates a feeling of helplessness, as well as a feeling of terror as the proximity sensors may engage in a way that suggests that the player is not alone in this ocean. The gameplay is simple, the graphics are crude, and yet the game managed to invoke fears of the unknown in players who dared try to beat it.

Couple this unique experience with the online star power of Markiplier, one of the best-known names on YouTube in the let’s play sphere, and the game became a hit that led to a highly anticipated film release. Markiplier initially announced a premier coming to around 60 theaters across the United States, and when fans expressed disappointment at lack of showings in their state, he urged them to contact the theaters where they would be willing to see the movie and ask them to reach out to his “team” and request showings. “Team” is enclosed in scare quotes because, as he reminded his viewers periodically, the point-of-contact was merely himself and his wife, Amy.

Markiplier fans then did what they are perhaps known for best (other than perhaps being a little bit cringe.) Theaters across the globe were suddenly inundated with polite requests for showings on their screens. The “team” struggled to keep up with the pace; the website for the movie updated constantly with additional locations, denoted by location pins headed by a goofy picture of Markiplier himself. His screaming face spread across the United States, and later across the world. During a video update, in a moment that would later become something of a meme, Markiplier mused in disbelief, “We’re in Guam.”

Though faced with challenges related to international film rights and ratings standards, massive demand for the film, and the general exhaustion of bringing this entire project to fruition sans the backing of a studio or production company, Iron Lung managed to secure a place as the 2nd-highest grossing release in the last weekend of January. It was beaten only by Send Help, which was directed by Sam Raimi (Evil Dead, Spider-Man) and heftily backed by Disney. Not bad for an indie production funded entirely by its director.

The average viewer, probably not familiar with Markiplier or the Iron Lung game, may struggle to completely grasp the hefty lore required to understand the plot. Nevertheless, the movie itself makes the objectives laid out before our protagonist quite clear, making the on-screen story easy enough to follow.

Those expecting an effects-heavy action thriller will be disappointed, as much of the conflict in Iron Lung is between one man and his own failing sanity as he struggles to survive in a tiny submarine. But those seeking a slow-burn cosmic horror experience carried by a relatable protagonist will be pleasantly surprised by a movie that delivers an incredible punch on a shoestring budget.

At times, the necessary darkness of the claustrophobic setting is detrimental to the viewer, and it’s difficult to really see the action. Additionally, audiovisual choices made to depict the main character’s descent into insanity make the dialogue hard to follow.

The care and love put into this movie are clear enough to eclipse the movie’s shortcomings. It’s far from a perfect movie, but it’s pretty good for a first one from a new

director, and especially one produced completely independently on a small budget. Whatever your opinion on the movie or the man behind it, this is an impressive feat. It bodes well for the success of movies produced this way, and is a promise of what is to come for Markiplier, who hopefully will venture out of YouTube again for further features.

[3.5 stars out of 5]