After nearly three years of filming and production, majorly successful YouTuber Markiplier finally released his film “IRON LUNG” based off the indie game by David Szymanski of the same title. The film sees Simon (played by Markiplier) descend into both the depths of a blood ocean on a mysterious moon, but also into the depths of his own mind as he battles with reality after a strange celestial event called “The Quiet Rapture” ruptured the Universe.
The original game is conceptually very creative and mysterious, but the gameplay loop wasn’t exactly meant to be anything spectacular but draw out a sense of unease as the player tries to identify their own purpose exploring an alien blood ocean. Markiplier was quite deliberate in capturing this same unease and uncanniness in his film, only taking creative liberties to add to the film’s engagement and cinematic feel. He did this with near perfect execution, and the results are certainly showing. Many (very much so including myself) consider the film a masterclass in cosmic horror and certainly coming out on top for many in the strange subgenre that is “isolation cosmic horror” (in which I would say this film neatly falls into).
Despite the film being conceptually niche, its popularity was astronomical compared to the expectation that Markiplier set for himself. Currently, the film rests at about $50 million at the box office compared to its $3 million budget, meaning it is very much so rivaling Hollywood as an independent film! The movie was directed by, produced by, and starred Markiplier, so it was certainly his passion project, but fortunately for his whole team that worked on the film, they received massive bonuses due to its success.
However, to an individual who may be unfamiliar with Mark Fischbach (much better known as Markiplier), the fandom surrounding this movie and the roaring success of it may seem very random indeed. To shed some light on that, I figured we could briefly analyze this:
Back in 2012, Markiplier first started his channel. Like many YouTubers, he did not anticipate being successful in this spotlight, as it wasn’t all that viable of a career choice at the time. But over the years, his fandom grew and grew. Eventually, he became one of the biggest faces of YouTube, dominating the gaming scene, which was the most popular of the types of content on the platform.
Mr. Fischbach clearly had drive to not just be a gaming Youtuber, but a creator. He began doing film-esque projects with YouTube like “A Heist with Markiplier” or “In Space with Markiplier.” He also starred in a lesser-known Amazon short series called “Edge of Sleep.” All these projects led him to create something of his own, and upon playing Szymanski’s game, he must’ve been truly inspired as he proceeded to capture something truly unique.
Along this path, his fans were there. Whether it be the “Five Night’s at Freddy’s” videos or his different sketches and projects, his fans truly wanted to be there to see it. “IRON LUNG” was no exception; his fans united because they genuinely wanted to see what his passion had led him to. It’s rare to have this sort of connection with someone so popular, but his fans proved their faithfulness. The movie was never even intended to be outside of a few exclusive theatres. Now, it is showing internationally and all across the United States.
Vance Redd
Staff Reporter
