5 films like Markiplier’s Iron Lung

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If you liked Markiplier’s recent horror film, Iron Lung, here are five other movies that offer a similar creepy experience.

Iron Lung is a scary and suspenseful experience inspired by the video game created by David Szymanski. It puts you in the role of a prisoner navigating an old submarine through a strange, blood-filled ocean.

This movie expertly blends feelings of intense anxiety and confinement with a larger, more universal sense of dread. It’s been a huge hit worldwide, earning $34 million so far – more than ten times its production cost.

Markiplier, the popular YouTuber, created the film Iron Lung – he wrote, directed, and acted in it. While we’re waiting to find out when it will be available digitally, here are five other movies with similar themes, listed from oldest to newest.

The Abyss

Directed by James Cameron and starring Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn, this film was released on August 9, 1989.

The movie follows a deep-sea drilling crew called in by the Navy after a nuclear submarine vanishes in the ocean. As they explore the extreme depths, the crew faces bizarre events that make them question everything they know about science, humanity, and what lives below. What makes this film great is its combination of impressive visuals and compelling human stories, expertly crafted by James Cameron. The underwater setting adds to the suspense, both physically and emotionally, as the crew descends further and tensions mount.

The special effects were groundbreaking when the film was made and still look great today. Beyond the visuals, The Abyss explores powerful themes like trust, communication, self-sacrifice, and finding redemption, giving it a surprising emotional depth not often found in science fiction movies.

Event Horizon

Okay, so I recently checked out Event Horizon, and man, it’s a trip. Paul W. S. Anderson directed it, and the cast is awesome – Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, and Kathleen Quinlan are all in it. It originally came out back in 1997. Basically, it’s about a rescue team sent to investigate a spaceship, the Event Horizon, that disappeared on its first voyage and then just…showed up near Neptune. When they get on board, things get seriously messed up. The ship isn’t just back, it’s changed, and it’s brought something terrifying with it from another dimension. It starts messing with everyone’s heads, preying on their fears, and honestly, it’s a total mind-screw. What I loved about it is that it’s like a haunted house movie…but in space! It’s packed with really unsettling visuals, some seriously creepy twists, and Sam Neill delivers a fantastic performance – honestly one of his best. If you’re into horror and sci-fi, you gotta check this one out.

Similar to how Markiplier builds suspense, director Paul W.S. Anderson immediately establishes a dark and ominous mood. This sets the stage for a truly frightening experience that blends gothic horror with psychological thrills.

Below

Directed by David Twohy and starring Matthew Davis, Bruce Greenwood, and Olivia Williams, the film Below was released on April 11, 2003. The story follows a WWII submarine crew who rescue survivors from a sunken hospital ship, only to experience increasingly unsettling events as they venture further into enemy waters. What makes Below effective is its claustrophobic submarine setting, which builds a truly suffocating and frightening atmosphere – every noise and shadow hints at something terrifying lurking nearby.

Similar to Iron Lung, the story keeps you guessing for most of the film, hinting at ideas and posing complex questions without providing simple solutions.

Moon

Directed by Duncan Jones and starring Sam Rockwell, Dominique McElligott, and Kevin Spacey, Moon was released on June 12, 2009. The film centers around astronaut Sam Bell, who, nearing the end of a three-year solitary mission mining helium-3 on the Moon, uncovers a startling truth about himself and the purpose of his assignment. Moon is praised for its exploration of loneliness and isolation, and is considered a prime example of effective, stripped-down science fiction filmmaking.

Honestly, this movie just feels real. The effects aren’t flashy CGI, they’re practical and give everything this cool, lived-in vibe, especially with the retro-future look they went for. The story isn’t hitting you over the head with messages about what it means to be human or how companies can take advantage of people, it just explores those ideas naturally. And Sam Rockwell? He plays this totally relatable, flawed guy, and he just nails it. He’s the kind of hero you really root for, even when he’s making mistakes.

Underwater

Directed by William Eubank and starring Kristen Stewart, Vincent Cassel, and T.J. Miller, Underwater was released on January 10, 2020. The film follows a group of survivors who must trek across the ocean floor to safety after an earthquake devastates their deep-sea research facility. Facing immense pressure, malfunctioning gear, and terrifying creatures, they struggle to escape the pitch-black depths. Underwater expertly builds a creeping sense of dread as the characters descend into the unknown.

This story blends the intense fear of survival horror with the unsettling dread of cosmic horror. Kristen Stewart, much like Mark Fischbach, gives a realistic and emotionally resonant performance that keeps the story grounded, ultimately making the heartbreaking ending even more impactful.

You can still catch Iron Lung in theaters. For updates on Markiplier’s upcoming films, click here, and here’s where to find information about the Iron Lung popcorn bucket.

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2026-02-09 18:19