Thank You for Watching “Iron Lung”
Hello everybody, and thank you for even just CLICKING on this article about Iron Lung and its director Mark Fischbach’s success in spite of the system placed before him.
David Syzmanski’s game the film adapts is similarly a self-produced venture, even self-published by Syzmanski on the Steam storefront. There’s something that feels right, that feels full-circle about the film taking a similar approach to its own distribution. No big names or studios were attached to Fischbach’s Iron Lung from pre-production to release, and it shows from the moment the film begins. No vanity cards or companies precede the start of the film, its contents are an uncompromised effort from Mark to pay loving tribute to the indie game. The set of the Iron Lung submarine itself is essentially a one-to-one recreation of its appearance in-game. The film taking place entirely within its confines with one observant, stir-crazy convict makes it feel like a bottle movie along the likes of Hitchcock’s Rear Window. The raw creative control and passion displayed onscreen is palpable and made for the main reason I went to go see the film, and that’s what this article is really about.
Markiplier’s ascent on YouTube has been great to see from the time I was a kid to right now. Now, his ascent in the box office this past weekend has become emblematic of something bigger. Against big names like Sam Raimi releasing his new original Send Help the same weekend, Fischbach was able to gross over $21 million in one weekend from Iron Lung‘s limited release in over 4,000 locations from an initial 50. All of this was possible through word-of-mouth, fan and community support. A majority of people who went to see Iron Lung, especially the night of the premiere, were fans of the Markiplier channel. As a community, though, this film means so much more than just a YouTuber hitting the big screen.
Iron Lung is a win for independent filmmakers nationwide. There are dedicated indie film studios helping creators fulfill their visions (Neon, A24, Blumhouse fittingly has some adjacent horror adaptations), but a release like this so successful with no marketing or outside help shows the unrelenting passion behind all involved. The cast and crew aboard Iron Lung, as well as each and every audience member who took the time to head to the theater, bringing as many crewmates with them as possible. It was with their help Iron Lung briefly became the #1 movie in America, exceeding a day’s earnings ahead of any and every major studio release debuting the same weekend.
Iron Lung is out now in theaters. We hope you’ll see it.