A moving new Netflix documentary called The Remarkable Life of Ibelin has released its first trailer, as part of Geeked Week. The film tells the story of Norwegian World of Warcraft player Mats Steen, who died from a degenerative muscular disease at age 25.
As seen in the clip, his parents were worried that his life had been lonely and isolated as his condition worsened. It was only after his passing that they discovered he’d actually lived a vibrant online life playing World of Warcraft, and had left a lasting impact on the community he played with.
Told through interviews as well as a recreation of Mats’ online playing, the documentary reveals the remarkable truth of who this young man was. The trailer introduces us to Ibelin, his online persona, in what looks sure to be a touching mediation on the power of online community, and how it can transcend the boundaries of the physical world.
“I don’t think he was aware of how big an impact he had done to a lot of people,” one of the interviewees shares as others speak of how open and understanding he was as a friend. The documentary also contains extracts from Mats’ blog posts to piece together his story. “In there, my chains are broken and I can be whoever I want to be,” he says in one.
The documentary premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and early reviews have been very positive. Rotten Tomatoes ranks it at 96%, as Collider’s Taylor Gates writes: “There’s a lot of bleakness and hollowness when it comes to the Internet right now, but in the right hands, it can offer a lot of hope and deep connections, too.”
Siddhant Adlakha from Variety calls it “a moving, multifaceted masterwork that doubles as a cinematic epitaph to a vibrant (if secretive) young man” while The Hollywood Reporter’s Daniel Fienberg concludes that it’s “powerful as a story, but limited as a film.”
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin begins streaming on Netflix on October 25. For what else to watch, check out our guides to the best Netflix shows and the best Netflix movies to stream right now.
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