‘The Remarkable Life of Ibelin’ Movie Review [Fantastic Fest 2024]: A Powerful, Heart-Rending Story About Making A Difference

Photo from Netflix

From Jeff Nelson

Video games are often misunderstood as childish escapism and wrongly perceived as an inferior form of media. The myths surrounding their influence on violence and antisocial behaviors are obviously false, as these assumptions fail to see the deeper ways they impact lives. Benjamin Ree’s The Remarkable Life of Ibelin reveals a heart-shattering story about how one person made a difference through the creative world of gaming. It would take a heart of stone not to feel your eyes well up.

Mats Steen was a Norwegian gamer who died of a degenerative muscular disease at the young age of 25. His parents believed he lived a lonely life, spending hours in front of his computer screen playing World of Warcraft. Their entire perception shifted after receiving an influx of positive messages from the community that he made an unforgettable impact on.

Mats’ parents, Trude and Robert, and sister, Mia, recall his life tracking back to the very beginning. He was a joyful kid who lost autonomy over his body due to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which is an inherited disease that results in progressive muscle weakness and degeneration. Mats’ difficulties in the physical world pushed him further into a digital one, seemingly retreating into isolation and loneliness. From their perspective, Trude and Robert’s greatest fears were becoming reality, where their son would never experience love and human connection.

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin shines a light on the world of gaming, dispelling the negative myths surrounding the people who find emotional fulfillment in transporting into another world. Unless you belong to an older generation or follow in outdated footsteps, none of this is new or surprising. Ree takes audiences through a dramatic re-enactment of Mats’ World of Warcraft roleplay server, utilizing the popular fantasy world itself to tell a story based on over 42,000 pages of dialogue, actions, and character diaries 

Mats and his parents didn’t communicate their respective fears with one another before his death, but his online journal called “Musings of Life” (admittedly a better film title, as well) gave greater insight into some of his deeper feelings, such as his fear of not making an impact on other people’s lives. Here, Ree finds the most compelling aspect of the documentary, where some of his fellow gamers speak to his mind, heart, and soul in profound ways. Mats’ role in connecting a mother and son through a video game is touching and beautiful. 

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin is swimming in genuine emotions, but it short-changes the documentary aspect of the movie. Ree hints at World of Warcraft’s negative side of personalities and egos without really diving into it. Additionally, there isn’t much probing during the interview segments with Mats’ family or friends, especially regarding how they felt in response to Mats’ behavioral shifts. The film is more focused on both the uplifting and heartbreaking story elements, rather than more thoroughly exploring some of the more uncomfortable material.

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin is a deeply moving tribute to Mats and the power of online relationships, weaving heartache and ambition in a story that looks at the intersection between digital and physical realities. Ree finds innovative ways to explore this narrative in ways that stay true to Mats’ perspective and will touch a lot of people’s lives who found fulfillment in online communities. However, it leaves something to be desired as a documentary, leaning on outdated assumptions about gaming that feel stuck in time. There’s a lot more to be explored within the lives Mats touched, but there’s no denying the emotional wallop that made it to the screen.

Rating: 3.5/5

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin hits theaters on September 20th, 2024. It streams on Netflix starting October 25th, 2024.

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