Iron Lung: The Authentic Path to Reinventing Video Game Movies

Video game adaptations have long been cursed. Studios often struggle to develop a product that lives up to the beloved intellectual properties. Keza MacDonald of The Guardian describes it as “a film genre [that] boasts an unimpeachable reputation for dreadfulness.” Experimentation began in the early 2000s with the movies “Resident Evil” and “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.” The latter was actually the first box office success for the genre at the time, grossing around $131 million.

In more recent years, studios have slowly figured out a method to maximize the genre’s revenue, though most adaptations are still mediocre plot-wise. My perspective may stem from the fact that these films primarily target children, and I’m simply not the intended audience. I would throw movies like “A Minecraft Movie,” “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” and “Sonic the Hedgehog” into this group. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” has been the highest-grossing of these adaptations at an astounding $1 billion worldwide. While it received more favorable reviews than previous releases, it is still regarded as mediocre. “Sonic the Hedgehog” has probably been the most well-received adaptation thus far. Meanwhile, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” was described by The Guardian as “more like a horror movie translated into another language, then re-translated back with such haste that everything about it feels off.”

I’ve hesitated to watch all these movies for that very reason. After watching “Pokémon Detective Pikachu,” I got the sense that the films are being made by people who have no emotional tie to the games. Studios are simply using the source material to make a quick buck, so the result often feels watered down and soulless. 

Others have found a more effective method for adapting beloved titles. “Fallout” and “The Last of Us” fit into that category. These television series have brought many actors like Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey to prominence. Perhaps TV shows are a better medium for video games, because you can take more time to explore the themes presented. These series take on heavier, adult themes and explore somber realities about the human condition. Though subtle, these differences show far more respect for the source material than their film counterparts. 

But at the end of January, a video game movie was released that combines both of these methods. Markiplier’s “Iron Lung” takes on the narratively elaborate yet contained setting of an indie game by the same name. A convict who was imprisoned after being accused of murder in his youth is offered the chance of freedom if he can find the origin of a blood ocean. He is submerged in a submarine nicknamed the Iron Lung, going about his mission completely alone. The story is subtle, honoring the original spirit of the game without taking things to the extreme, and making it a possible blueprint for future films within the genre. 

For those unaware, Mark Fischbach, commonly known as Markiplier, is an American YouTuber with over 30 million subscribers. He’s often put into the camp of early-generation content creators alongside creators such as PewDiePie, The Game Theorists, and Smosh. His career has spanned 14 years, during which he’s primarily uploaded gaming content. In particular, for the past five years he’s focused his content on indie horror games like David Szymanski’s “Iron Lung.” Most indie developers would fawn over the opportunity to have their game played on camera by such a well-known creator, but Szymanski got an even bigger opportunity when Markiplier contacted him directly to ask if he wanted to make a movie. 

As a long-time Markiplier fan, I watched his initial venture into filmmaking back in 2017. For Valentine’s Day, he made a choose-your-own-adventure story using YouTube’s new end-cap screen. It was simple but effective, an innovative, unique project that used the resources he had at his disposal. In the years to come, he made more elaborate films using YouTube’s resources, publishing three series under the YouTube Originals banner. The final and most sophisticated series, “In Space with Markiplier,” released just as the program was being discontinued. It had a huge cast and crew, several sets, and an interactive experience with a multitude of choices. So the YouTuber is no stranger to the art of filmmaking. This is a passion he’s been pursuing for the past decade.

With “Iron Lung,” he is completely unshackled from the restraints of the YouTube platform and instead is reaching for something higher: the big screen. The film took three years to make and was completely self-funded. He worked closely with Szymanski to expand the story while also staying loyal to the game’s original claustrophobic feel. With a $3 million budget, Markiplier and his entire crew embarked on a journey to learn how to make a fully fledged film, and with that came notable creativity and valuable lessons. 

The beginning of the film was fairly comprehensible, but it became more convoluted as time went on. I found it difficult to understand some of the plot points, which partially came from the sound mixing of the speaker on the submarine. Most of the film surrounds the character of Simon, played by Markiplier, who uses a speaker to communicate with the outside world. Unfortunately, there were times when the dialogue was incomprehensible. The premise of the game also didn’t lend itself well to the medium. In the game, the player’s main objective is to move from coordinate to coordinate and hopefully experience some spooky moments, but the lore is inconsequential. Films rely on plot. This convoluted lore that Szymanski developed involving cosmic entities that have raptured the stars and planets, and Simon’s criminal history, could not be fully explored or understood through the film. 

Despite this, there was a lot that “Iron Lung” got right. The movie successfully conveyed the dread-filled sense of impending doom and fear of the unknown. The limited setting was well-suited to the claustrophobic feeling that is so essential to the game. We were experiencing everything through Simon’s eyes. In that same way, he couldn’t view the horrors outside of his submarine; we were right there with him. We felt every discovery, every hallucination, every impact and injury.

Markiplier accomplished this largely through his camera work. He found ways to keep this singular space interesting with unique camera angles. The “YouTuber” label might bring about assumptions for many, but the movie’s quality was surprisingly on par with higher-budget films.. The creator built his own rig for the submarine so all of the gyrations are practical effects. The score and sound effects were beautifully produced. All of the technical aspects show great promise for his future in filmmaking.

There is still a lot for Markiplier to learn as a first-time independent filmmaker, but overall it was a good first step. It tackles the IP in a way that remains faithful to the original while also connecting the themes of the game on a real-world human level, and the world seemingly agrees. The film made $44 million globally, making 15 times its budget. This success was reflected in the film holding the No. 1 slot domestically for its entire opening weekend, surpassing even the influence of First Lady Melania Trump and her documentary. 

Who better understands how best to adapt a video game into a movie than the man who has made a career playing them for almost 15 years? He has spent countless hours analyzing what makes for a successful game. He’s passionate about their titles and respective stories, and a voice like his could translate them in a way that resonates with gaming fans. Major corporations will simply use these games as an easy cash grab. They don’t care about the source material, and that’s evident in their products. If you really want to solve the video game movie curse, looking at films like “Iron Lung” might be the remedy.