On Jan. 30, 2026 the first showing of the record-holding movie,“Iron Lung," premiered in theaters which gained rapid popularity and gained rapid popularity landing the spot of number one movie in America.
While new movies are frequently released, "Iron Lung," is special in its own aspect. While not only being based off of a simulation horror game by David Szymanski, it is also fully funded and directed by internet celebrity Mark Fischbach or more frequently known as Markiplier.
Movie production started in April of 2023 and reached its deadline of being released in January of 2026. With production and script writing shared between Szymanski and Markiplier the movie adapted previously unseen aspects the game lacked.
The production of “Iron Lung” broke records, as according to IMDb making the movie used approximately 80,000 gallons of fake blood which currently stands globally as the most fake blood used ever in a movie.
When the movie finally premiered in theaters, it was nothing short of a masterpiece.
The movie follows Simon, a convict sent on a research mission with the hope that complying will earn him his freedom. The movie takes place inside a submarine known as the iron lung which is sent deep inside a mysterious blood ocean on one of the only remaining moons left.
With the majority of humanity and the known universe being erased by an event called the “Quiet Rapture,” the survivors search for answers in the blood ocean. The movie follows Simon, played by Markiplier himself, as he ventures deeper into the mysterious ocean searching for answers and a way to escape.
With the movie taking place on only a small set, cinematographers had to get creative on how to make a small submarine entertaining to viewers.
“When first stepping into the theatre I knew that the movie took place in only a small set,” explained freshman Ashlyn Zone, a returning fan of the Iron Lung franchise. “I expected repetitive camera angles and shots, I was honestly surprised to see how the film makers added so much depth to each shot.”
The movie offers a variety of different camera angles, from wide panel shots to short cutaways leaving the audience guessing what's going to happen next.
While it's common to see movies released from big studios, it's refreshing to see passion projects like "Iron Lung" gain massive amounts of popularity for the movie quality itself. To put into retrospect of how successful Iron Lung was, IMDb stated that “the number of theaters playing the film expanded from 60 to over 1,500+ theatres.”
While major movie companies may bore us with their repetitive cycles of endless sequels. “Iron Lung” proves that good movies don’t have to be made by big time companies to be successful, and that even your favorite childhood influencer can make a masterpiece of a movie.
