A groundbreaking new documentary made with World of Warcraft-style animation has landed on Netflix, earning a whopping 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and sparking an emotional response from viewers.
Netflix’s non-fiction content continues to pump out true crime releases in the runup to Halloween, the latest being its serial killer docu-series This is the Zodiac Speaking and Anna Kendrick’s masterful Woman of the Hour.
However, if you’re looking for a more emotional, touching film on the human experience, Benjamin Ree’s The Remarkable Life of Ibelin is well worth your time.
Following its premiere at 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it won two accolades, the new documentary has landed on Netflix US today (October 25).
The story centers on Mats Steen, a Norwegian gamer who spent countless hours playing World of Warcraft as his Thor-like character, Lord Ibelin Redmoore.
In real life, Mats had been diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and over the years, he gradually lost his ability to move, walk, and engage with the world around him.
However, in World of Warcraft, he lived an adventurous life, building up friendships and a community of peers. In 2014, he died at age 25.
His parents, Robert and Trude, had no idea about their son’s online life. After his passing, they found the password to his blog and shared the news to his friends, unaware of how big of an impact Mats had made.
They were overwhelmed by the response and the online community their son had built. As Mats himself wrote in a blog post, “There, my handicap doesn’t matter, my chains are broken and I can be whoever I want to be. In there I feel normal.”
Ree started developing The Remarkable Life of Ibelin after reading quotes from Robert and Trude in a BBC article, and when he reached out to them to request home footage of Mats, he was shocked to find himself and his parents in a video.
The filmmaker told Netflix’s Tudum, “I’m not a religious person, but I almost became religious at that moment. Mats’ parents and my parents were in the same group of friends in the late ‘80s. When my parents moved to another part of Norway, they lost contact, sadly.”
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Alongside the real footage, Ree took on animators to depict Mats’ online life in World of Warcraft between 2004 and 2014.
When they asked for permission to adopt the animation style, execs from the company behind the game – Blizzard Entertainment – were “visibly moved” by the documentary and allowed the creators to proceed.
Following its Sundance premiere and streaming release, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin has earned a respective 98% and 89% from critics and audiences alike.
IndieWire said, “The film is determined to prove that people can meaningfully interact with the world in any number of ways, now more than ever, and it accomplishes that goal with real clarity and rare emotional force.”
“Scoff all you like, you non-gamers, because by the end it’s nearly impossible not to shed a tear after the touching finesse and shape of this story,” added The Guardian.
Elsewhere, RogerEbert.com commented, “It’s about empowerment, empathy, and the impact we can have on one another, even those we never meet. You’ll cry. It’s worth the tears.”
As for viewers at home, one wrote, “Ree tells us a compelling story about misunderstanding, coping with tragedy, coming of age, falling in love and making friends.”
“Amazingly well directed, voice acted, and just in total well made,” added another. “Brought tears to my eyes. Best film / documentary I’ve seen and definitely worth a watch!”
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin is streaming on Netflix now. For more compelling docs, read about HBO’s Daniel, Amanda Mustard’s Great Photo, Lovely Life, and what happened to Jennifer Pandos. You can also take a look at other Netflix documentaries to watch now.