Online gaming legend Mark Fischbach, better known as YouTuber Markiplier, has written, directed and starred in the independently financed horror film Iron Lung, which has been released in multiplexes with minimal promotion. The film adapts Dave Szymanski's space-submarine simulator game, but critics say it fails to deliver a compelling cinematic experience.
The story follows a convict named Simon, played by Fischbach, on a vague intergalactic mission aboard a cramped, grimy spacecraft. The film relies heavily on voiceovers and off-screen characters, with little visual spectacle. Reviewers note that the barebones production has nothing much to show, comparing it unfavourably to other sci-fi films like Moon and Dark Star.
Fischbach's performance is steady, but he cannot overcome the film's depressive tone, leaden pacing and lack of action. The plot, which involves ominous rumbles and mounting doubts about humanity, feels stretched beyond its short-film origins. Critics suggest that more money and bigger sets would be needed to make the concept work.
