YouTuber Markiplier is paving the way for YouTuber productions to hit mainstream outlets with the success of his Amazon Prime TV show “The Edge of Sleep.”
“The Edge of Sleep,” created by Mark Fischbach, commonly known online as Markiplier, debuted on Oct. 15 to a warm reception. The show aims to pave the way for more of Fischbach’s projects to be greenlit for production and distribution, specifically a movie Fischbach has been working towards called “Iron Lung,” a project he has been vocally passionate about getting into theaters.
Ahead of the release on Sep. 30, Fischbach went to his YouTube channel and released a video titled “The Plan” where he told his 37 million subscribers that “The Edge of Sleep” is coming out on Oct. 18, on a platform that he can’t disclose yet. Fischbach then goes on to tell the audience that higher-ups have told him that if “The Edge of Sleep” gets into the platform’s top ten, then it could “Open doors” for “Iron Lung.”
Just over two weeks later on Oct. 15th, Fischbach took to YouTube once again with a video titled “The Plan has CHANGED!!” in which he explains “‘The Edge of Sleep’ is available right now… on prime video.” Despite marketing coming three days later on Oct 18., “The Edge of Sleep” was able to reach the top 6 on the platform exceeding the challenge placed on Fischbachs’ project.
The show, which is based on a podcast telling the same story, has 6 episodes, each around 20 minutes in length, making the show easily digestible in a single sitting which helps to add to the immersion of the world. However, the short total runtime creates the challenge of telling a fully fleshed story while also allowing the story proper pacing and worldbuilding.
“The Edge of Sleep” does an incredible job of creating the atmosphere for the world with dark shots and suspenseful audio. The particular interactions with the radio feel very reminiscent of early horror and thrillers. Upon meeting the characters, the audience is immediately introduced to their core beliefs one way or another in a very natural manner that aids in connecting to the characters more easily.
The show centers around Dave Torres, a night shift security guard who suffers from parasomnia, a disorder that causes many kinds of sleep-related abnormalities such as unconscious movements and intense dreams. After attending a late-night party with his coworker Matteo Leon the two discover that sleeping is causing people to suddenly die.
The early narrative contains the discovery of the phenomenon plaguing the town as the characters search for the extent of the supposedly deadly illness and any potential causes. In the second half the narrative shifts to focus more on the effects on your body that operating with no sleep can produce.
The characters have impressive dialogue that doesn’t feel forced or drawn out, and their interactions feel real and impactful. Fischbach, who has acted before, really found his footing towards the end of the show as he appeared more comfortable and firm in his character as his delivery improved throughout the show.
The show draws out a plethora of emotions, most prominently anxiety, guilt, shame, regret, and depression, all of which are amplified by the effects of not sleeping. The show wants to remind you of these factors and how powerful they can be by adding a clock that appears every so often to show the viewer how long the cast has been awake without sleep, and therefore how close they are to collapse, creating a sense of urgency.
The show ends abruptly with a massive cliffhanger following a twist in the closing minutes that really intensifies the struggle of the characters, but it’s a shame this couldn’t have been explored in the first season. The cliffhanger itself really draws the viewer in, creating this desire for more and it’s disappointing that there just is not.
“The Edge of Sleep’ is an amazing experience in the time it’s given, but needs more time to develop its true colors. At no time does this production feel like a content creator was given a hand-out or a trial, this show is pure quality and demands respect from everyone. Fans of psychological thrillers, dramas, and tense media would more than likely enjoy this show which has received a 7.6/10 by IMDb and holds a 4.9/5 on Amazon’s own review service.
As of now, a season two for the podcast the show is based on has been confirmed, but is still unreleased, and a season two for the show is unconfirmed. Now “Iron Lung” looms in the distance as Fischbach pushes his next project forward on the back of this recent success.
