Walking into a movie theater to see a film made by a YouTuber usually feels like a recipe for a cringey afternoon. We have all seen the low-effort projects that influencers put out just to cash in on their fame. However, the energy surrounding the release of “Iron Lung” on January 30 was different. This was not a quick vlog turned into a movie, as we have seen with YouTuber movies in the past. It was a massive, self-funded passion project from Mark Fischbach, better known to everyone as Markiplier. After years of anticipation, the film finally hit theaters, and it has been making serious waves in the industry.

From Small Pixels to Big Screens

The movie is based on the 2022 indie horror game of the same name. If you have played the game, you know it is incredibly simple but terrifying. You are a convict trapped in a tiny, rusted submarine at the bottom of an ocean of blood on an alien moon. There are no windows, so you have to navigate using coordinates and a graining camera that takes pictures of what is outside. It is a claustrophobic nightmare.

Markiplier decided to take this concept and turn it into a full-length feature film. He did not just slap his name on it either. He wrote the script, directed it, and starred as the main character. He even funded the entire thing himself with a budget of about $3 million. In Hollywood terms, that is basically pocket change. For an independent creator, though, that is a huge risk. He even skipped a role in the “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” movie because the schedules overlapped, showing how much he believed in this specific story.

The technical side of the movie is just as interesting as the plot. Because the budget was so tight, Mark had to be really creative. He built his own render farm for the visual effects using parts he found on eBay. This kind of DIY energy is exactly why his fans are so loyal. They feel as though they are part of the process because they have watched him talk about these struggles on his channel for months.

The David vs. Goliath Box Office Battle

The most shocking part of the “Iron Lung” release has been the box office numbers. The film opened the same weekend as “Send Help,” a survival thriller from legendary director Sam Raimi. Raimi is the guy who gave us the original “Spider-Man” trilogy and “Evil Dead,” so he is basically royalty in the horror and action world. Everyone expected “Send Help” to dominate, but the internet had other plans.

During its opening weekend, “Iron Lung” actually beat “Send Help” at the domestic box office. It pulled in an estimated $17.3 million, while Raimi’s film trailed closely behind at $18 million globally but struggled to keep up with Markiplier’s momentum in the United States on Friday and Saturday. It was a huge win for independent filmmaking. It proved that a loyal fanbase and a unique idea could compete with a major studio production.

However, things shifted during the second weekend. As the initial hype from the YouTube community settled down, “Send Help” managed to surpass “Iron Lung.” Raimi’s movie had a broader appeal for casual viewers who might not know what a “Markiplier” is, and it ended up having more staying power as the weeks went on. Still, for a $3 million indie movie to even stand in the same ring as a Disney-backed thriller is a massive achievement.

What Are the Critics Saying?

As you might expect, the reviews for “Iron Lung” have been all over the place. The reception is definitely mixed, but it leans toward the positive side if you look at what people actually liked.

• The Good: Critics have praised the atmosphere and the practical effects. Markiplier famously used over 80,000 gallons of fake blood for the film, which is more than the “Evil Dead” remake. The sense of dread and the “Quiet Rapture” lore—where all the stars and planets in the universe suddenly disappear—really resonated with people who wanted something different from the usual jumpscare horror.

• The Bad: Some reviewers felt the pacing was a bit slow. Since the movie takes place almost entirely inside a tiny submarine, there are long stretches where not much happens physically. Some critics called it “boring” or said it felt like a short film stretched out too long.

• The Verdict: Most people agree that for a directorial debut, Markiplier did a solid job. It has a “Verified Hot” audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, even if the professional critics are split right down the middle with a 50% score.

“It might be a big win for independent filmmaking. It’s to show that we can open a door for other people to do their projects independently and know there could be success in it.”

– Markiplier during a recent livestream.

Why It Matters for Us

For those of us in high school who grew up watching Markiplier, seeing him succeed on this level is pretty cool. Many of us remember when Markiplier was just a strange man screaming at children’s video games online. Seeing him come from that, to a bona fide filmmaker who has made one of the most succesful, (even with stiff competition) movies of the year so far. It shows that you do not need a massive studio or a hundred million dollars to make something that people care about. He took a weird game about a blood ocean and turned it into the number one movie in America for a weekend.

Even if you are not a fan of horror movies or you think the pacing is too slow, you have to respect the hustle. “Iron Lung” is a reminder that the way movies are made is changing. You do not have to wait for Hollywood to give you permission anymore. If you have a camera, a script, and 80,000 gallons of fake blood, you might just find yourself at the top of the charts too.