This post was originally published on here
There are many Youtubers out there that are very successful and have built a devoted fanbase with their audiences. However, I’d argue there aren’t many out there that have achieved as much as Markiplier.
With over 40 million subscribers on Youtube and over 17 billion total views, he now has moved to the big leagues with a feature film which he wrote, directed, edited, produced and starred in, now out in theaters.
Based on the 2022 simulation horror video game by David Szymanski, the film follows a convict, played by Markiplier, forced to pilot a rusted submarine through an alien ocean of blood. Following a catastrophic event called the “Quiet Rapture” that erased stars and planets, he must investigate a mysterious, dark secret, only to be abandoned by his handlers.
This is another film in the realm of Youtuber horror films, following the Philophou Brothers’ “Talk to Me” and “Bring Her Back” and most recently Chris Stuckmann’s “Shelby Oaks.” So, it was certainly going to be a challenge in how a Youtuber like Markiplier was going stand out — especially adapting a video game that’s relatively short in length.
However, thanks to creative and experimental filmmaking techniques, it stands out in a very unique way. The film starts out as a standard film, where the main character is trapped in a single location for the entire movie, a la Stephen King.
While this format can sometimes bore a viewer, the film goes out of its way to help them experience the claustrophobia and the lengthy experience being stuck in this submarine.
Another thing that brings this film into a new light is its fantastic score by Andrew Hulshult. His score adds to the unsettling element as the convict continues to search deeper into the ocean of blood.
The acting serves as a wonder, as Markiplier does an incredible job playing the titular convict, portraying all the nuances, tragedy and heartbreak his character must go through to survive this mission.
The supporting cast of mostly vocal performances also exceeds expectations, with Caroline Kaplan and voice acting legend Troy Baker giving a grounded intensity to even out the paranoia our lead goes through.
Other voice actor like Elsie Lovelock and Elle LaMont do impeccable jobs with their roles, bringing an added uneasiness to the environment and the relationship with the main character.
Iron Lung earns its ‘R’ rating with a record-setting amount of fake blood used in the film. | Everett Collection Inc/Alamy
It truly earns its R-rating with its unique and experimental scares and practical effects, opting for still and quiet scares as opposed to shaky and loud.
This film takes many liberties with its gore and the blood for the blood ocean. It’s quite incredible how much blood was used, even breaking the world record for most gallons of fake blood used in a single film. Not only is the volume used to great lengths, but the gore and makeup prosthetics are impressive, yet horrifying.
Even with all its positives, the film isn’t perfect. While the slow burn of the scares is welcome, the film does drag in its runtime. For a movie running over two hours, the pacing slows very drastically, causing those who might not be all the way invested to be very bored, pretty fast.
While adapting a short game into a longer feature film was going to be difficult, it probably should’ve been cut down a tad, at least to keep the audience engaged in the parts before the real horror goes down.
Despite this, “Iron Lung” champions independent filmmaking. With no studio attached and solely distributed it to theaters, it seems the film did something right. It sparked many conversations about its box office numbers — particularly on whether or not it was removed from the box office charts, despite it making back seven times its budget.
Still, Markiplier did something really incredible. He showed what happens when you have such a huge following and passion for an idea, to turn something small into something unique, horrific and truly extraordinary.
