Article and Photo by Olivia Simonson.
On January 30, indie cosmic horror film Iron Lung was released in theaters. The movie started out as just a passion project but quickly became an overnight sensation, becoming the #1 grossing movie at the box office for the weekend against Sam Raimi’s film Get Help. The film topped charts Friday but was mysteriously removed from charts come Saturday and Sunday despite still being at the top of the list. As backlash ensued over the decision, fans and critiques find themselves wondering how powerful the Disney/Hollywood label truly is.
The film features Mark Fischbach, and content creator who goes by Markiplier across YouTube and his social media platforms. Markiplier not only starred in the movie, but also directed, produced, edited, and funded the $3 million budget for the film. The creator stressed across platforms that while he is the main face of the film, he could not have done this alone, giving credit to longtime friends and family who believed in the film and the vision Markiplier created.
Based off the game by the same name, Iron Lung is set in a post-apocalyptic world where every star and planet vanished from the universe at the same time, with the only survivors being aboard starships and space stations. While supplies diminish rapidly, there are still barren moons that could have resources, and one of these moons has oceans of blood that have yet to be explored. The game, designed by David Szymanski, follows a convict who has been loaded into a submarine to the depths of one of these oceans on a recon assignment. As the game goes on, players realize that they are not alone in this ocean – and there’s a very good chance that they will not make it back alive.
The film itself follows the same narrative, with convict Simon (Fischbach) exploring an ocean of blood in a cramped submarine. The film’s perspective stays with Simon inside of the submarine, with information coming through his hallucinations or through the intercom connecting him back to the rest of the world. This claustrophobic element, along with the pacing, builds a sense of suspense and dread among audiences as the climax of the movie approaches. It does utilize some jump scares and body horror, making this movie not for the faint of heart, but that is to be expected when the creator of this project specializes in horror gameplay on his YouTube channel.
Originally, Iron Lung was only supposed to be showing in 50 theaters in total, but fans quickly expressed their interest in the film to local businesses worldwide, with the movie ending up in over 2,500 theaters globally. Tickets quickly sold out, and additional showings had to be added to support the number of people who wished to see the film. The film also partnered with Vitalant, a blood donation organization, on January 31 in hopes that audiences would take the time to donate blood before the show and help with the blood shortage going on. Trucks were set up outside select theaters for the day to take donations, and donations were also encouraged at local blood banks, still counting towards the film’s overall goal.
The film grossed $8.9 million on opening day, gaining back almost double the budget spent on the production of the film. It finished the weekend earning over $20 million globally, holding the #1 spot for both Friday and Saturday.
However, lists across the internet didn’t reflect this. On Saturday, Iron Lung was removed from the weekend box office list even though it was still #1 worldwide, with the same thing happening on Sunday before Send Help claimed the #1 spot, dropping the film to #2. But the lists still didn’t reflect this. It wasn’t until late Sunday evening when Iron Lung was put back in its place.
Speculation began to spin on whether the removal was intentional or an honest mistake, as this indie film proved that films not backed by a huge marketing label can succeed against big brands in the business. While no statements have been released, the movie continues to hold its place on the leaderboard, sitting at #6 globally, with audiences enjoying the film even if they have never heard of the creator or the game. The movie, as of February 3, 2026, has an 88% audience score on rotten tomatoes.
Locally, Iron Lung will continue its limited run at the Parkwood Cinema in Waite Park through the end of the week for both matinee and evening showtimes. Tickets can be purchased online via the Iron Lung website or through the Parkwood Cinema website.
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