Markiplier's Iron Lung: Surprise Hit with Near-Perfect Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes

4 weeks ago 16

Published Jan 30, 2026, 12:01 PM EST

Erielle Sudario is a Collider News and Feature Author from Australia and has worked in the journalism industry since 2018. She has a passion for entertainment and pop culture news and has interviewed YouTubers, voice actors, film directors, and musicians throughout her career. When she's not writing, you can see Erielle building keyboards, reading a good book, playing video games, and creating content on social media.

After a strong fan campaign to bring Iron Lung to theaters worldwide, Markiplier's directorial debut had a stellar start, earning a near-perfect audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The horror sci-fi film is based on the 2022 indie video game of the same name, and it has been released in over 4,000 theaters without a distributor. Additionally, many screenings have sold out, and early box-office projections indicate that Iron Lung has already generated millions in advance of its release.

Over on Rotten Tomatoes, Iron Lung has received a 93% audience score, with fans saying they were skeptical yet hopeful, calling it a good adaptation of the video game. However, some have criticized the movie for dragging a bit and wish some of the backstory had been better developed. Additionally, people have praised Markiplier for his acting. As of writing, the critics' score has not yet been revealed.

Iron Lung follows Simon (Markiplier), a convict who's sent down to a moon with an ocean of blood in an iron submersible in hopes of finding resources as the universe has succumbed to an apocalyptic event called "The Quiet Rapture," where stars and habitable planets have disappeared, and survivors now live in space stations. Initially, the film was set to release in 60 theaters, but the number has increased as fans contacted their local theater chains to bring the movie to their area. Yesterday, it was reported that Iron Lung generated $6 million in pre-sales and is projected to take in $9-10 million on opening night.

Other Movies Made By YouTubers

Markiplier is a YouTuber with over 38.2 million subscribers, and Iron Lung is his directorial debut. However, he's not the only online content creator who leaped into Hollywood. In 2022, Danny and Michael Philippou, also known as RackaRacka, made their directorial debut with the horror film Talk to Me. The film premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival before heading to Sundance, then to a global release. It grossed $92 million worldwide, making it the 5th-highest-grossing A24 film. In 2025, the filmmakers released Bring Her Back, which grossed $39.1 million worldwide.

In 2018, Bo Burnham made his directorial debut with the film Eighth Grade, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Since its release, it has grossed $14.3 million at the box office and received a Golden Globe nomination for "Best Actress – Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy" and four Independent Spirit Awards nominations, including "Best Film." His most recent work, Bo Burnham: Inside, was released on Netflix in 2021 and was immediately highly praised by fans and critics alike, earning a Certified Fresh Critics score of 95% and an audience score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Additionally, it won three Primetime Emmy Awards for "Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special," "Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special," and "Outstanding Music Direction."

Iron Lung is now showing in theaters.