Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Unique, moving docu with emotional intensity, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Norwegian Mats Steen, the subject of THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF IBELIN, was born with Duchenne disease, a rare form of muscular dystrophy. He began using a wheelchair at an early age. When he passed away at 25, his parents lamented all the life experiences they felt he'd never had the chance to live, like making an impact on others' lives, having a community of friends, and falling in love. What they quickly found out, when messages began pouring in from across Northern Europe, was that Mats had an entire life and community online in a fantasy World of Warcraft universe where he spent some 20,000 hours in the last decade of his life. There, he'd done all the things his parents had hoped for him, and more.
Is It Any Good?
This is a unique and emotional movie that will persist in your mind long after the closing scene and end credits roll. The Remarkable Life of Ibelin is indeed remarkable, both for the life story at its core and in the mesmerizing way it's brought to screen. It starts with home videos, played forward then rewound when the tale takes an unexpected turn, and woven in again as Mats' story is retold, infusing each previously seen image with an entirely new meaning. It's an ingenious way to visualize the feeling Mats' loved ones must have had when they realized everything they thought they knew about his life was incomplete.
How brave and generous of them, then, to share this story. They learned that Mats' short existence held essential messages about the values and experiences that give life meaning. In the hands of a different director, those messages could have been heavy-handed or been undermined by judging virtual life as somehow less than IRL. As the muscular Ibelin runs through fields and flirts with girls, "breaking the chains" of what real-life Mats could actually do, it all becomes clear. Benjamin Ree uses their dialogue archives to bring their shared past in an online fantasy world to life through new animations. Several different people explain how their digital lives with "Ibelin" supplemented and improved their real lives. It adds up to a heartrending, inventive, and unforgettable movie and life story.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what tools The Remarkable Life of Ibelin uses to tell Mats' story. Can you think of other films where you've seen this combination of interviews, footage, home movies, and animation? Did it all come together naturally for this film, in your opinion?
In what ways did Mats demonstrate perseverance in his life? How about other people in the film, like Mats' family members or his Starlight friends?
How does a virtual experience differ from an experience had in real life? Is one more or less valuable? Did the film change your mind about this?
How did Mats, as Ibelin, show his WoW community empathy? How did this impact their lives, according to the film?
Why do you think people get involved in alternate online universes like World of Warcraft (WoW)? Have you participated in an online role-playing game, and what was your experience, if so?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : October 25, 2024
- Cast : Mats Steen , Trude Steen , Robert Steen
- Director : Benjamin Ree
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : STEM , Fantasy ( Magic ) , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Empathy , Perseverance
- Run time : 103 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : brief strong language
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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