New Sci-Fi Movie Explores An Alien Moon, Submerged In 80,000 Gallons Of Blood

By Chris Sawin
| Published 34 seconds ago

After the Quiet Rapture wiped out stars and entire planets, only those on space stations and starships survived. As humanity expanded into space, it neglected the value of what it already had.

The Consolidation of Iron (C.O.I.) now controls what remains of civilization. Criminals have the opportunity to repay their crimes by partaking in obligatory service regarded as useful to the collective. One such convict (Markiplier) is welded inside of an experimental submarine and forced to explore an ocean of human blood on an uninhabitable moon. His mission is to retrieve a sample from a strange skeleton on the ocean floor. Unfortunately for him, he’s not alone.

The Origins Of Iron Lung

Iron Lung is based on a submarine simulation horror game from 2022, developed and published by David Szymanski. YouTuber Mark Fischbach, aka Markiplier, known for his “Let’s Play” videos of indie horror games, writes, directs, edits, executive produces, and stars in the film adaptation. The film was self-financed by Markiplier and released to over 4,100 theaters with no official distributor. Iron Lung is a film fueled by Markiplier’s YouTube popularity and fan anticipation.

Markiplier has starred in interactive YouTube films like A Heist with Markiplier and In Space with Markiplier, but Iron Lung is his first full-length theatrical film. Unlike other single-character films such as Moon, Buried, and Gravity, Iron Lung struggles with pacing; its two-hour runtime mostly trudges along, with hallucinations and vulgar ramblings being the only payoff until the bloody floodgates open during the last half hour.

Slow Pacing Until A Last Minute Blood Deluge

The film utilizes 80,000 gallons of fake blood, beating The Evil Dead (2013) for most used in a horror film, but, aside from one hallucination, Iron Lung doesn’t use it until the final moments. The pacing drags, but the film thrives on Markiplier’s constant vulgarities, thrashing inside a rusted sardine can, breaking equipment, scribbling maps, and getting tossed around.

Iron Lung dips into body horror late; the ever-present sea creature adds tension, and a standout hallucination design is glimpsed for only five seconds. Still, it feels like it takes forever to reach those moments.

Markiplier’s performance is decent enough to keep the film interesting. His character is going through it as he experiences panic and anxiety attacks, is freaking out at the thought of dying in an ocean of blood or being eaten by what looks like a giant, blood-swimming moon fish with sharp teeth, and gets injured so often that his head injuries make reality and imagination one and the same. His performance reeks of desperation and proving to everyone that he didn’t destroy Filament Station, the crime for which he went to prison.

Markiplier’s portrayal of anger, fear, and confusion is all top tier, but he comes up short when it comes to crying. The sorrow is there on his face and in his line delivery, but the tears never come.

Inventive Cinematography And Limited Lighting

Cinematography in Iron Lung, by Philip Roy, features inventive elements. The perspective inside the bag, as the convict (his name is revealed later) examines instructions on operating the sub, is a notable shot. The film frequently conveys the confined space as more complex than it appears.

Blood and condensation dripping down the sub’s interior evoke the image of an expired organ reviving. However, the introduction of blood impacts the clarity of the camera work. Limited lighting and unstable camera movements make distinguishing events in the final scenes of excessive blood difficult.

Inescapable, Claustrophobic Confinement Hinting At The Unknown

As a first-time filmmaker, Markiplier shows significant potential, especially in the horror genre. Iron Lung’s strongest asset is its sense of inescapable, claustrophobic confinement, with hints of the unknown swimming in human blood and pounding on the hollow walls as a conflicted helmsman is legitimately trapped inside.

The film’s slow burn wouldn’t feel so staggering if it built to something wholly worthwhile. The blood, hallucinations, and sea creature are all great, but they’re too fleeting to make a lasting impact. Iron Lung promises something grand and cosmic, but its climactic reveal is abrupt, with few scares and only a brief glimpse of the monster. Ultimately, it’s two hours of tension that end in a bloody yet unsatisfying climax.