Netflix Review: The Incredible Life of Ibelin

The Incredible Life of Ibelin is set to debut on Netflix, bringing the remarkable story of Mats Steen, a Norwegian gamer who found love, friendship, and community within the virtual world of World of Warcraft. Read on for a spoiler-free review of The Incredible Life of Ibelin.

Netflix provided Chasing Pixies with an advance screener however all thoughts and opinions are our own.

The Incredible Life of Ibelin is an emotional and eye-opening Netflix documentary about Mats Steen, a young Norwegian gamer who lived with a degenerative muscular disease and passed away at the age of 25. At first, his parents believed Mats had lived a lonely and isolated life. And it’s no wonder, his family saw Mats on his computer the majority of the days, not interacting with many others in real life. However, after his passing, they were surprised by an outpouring of messages from people all over the world, revealing the deep connections Mats had formed with them, within the online World of Warcraft community.

The film beautifully reenacts many of Mats’ experiences in the game, using hundreds of hours of conversations to recreate his interactions with members of the Starlight Guild. The filmmakers allow the audience to feel like a fly on the wall, watching Mats’ story unfold in this virtual world where he found friendship, support, and even love.

At its heart, The Incredible Life of Ibelin is about the power of community, showing how Mats, despite his physical limitations, was able to live a full life online. Through his in-game persona, Ibelin, Mats could support his friends, experience the thrill of love, and feel a sense of freedom, symbolized by his habit of running through the game’s environment each time he logged on.

The Incredible Life of Ibelin is a touching documentary that reminds us that true connections can be found in unexpected places and that the bonds formed in virtual spaces are just as meaningful as those in the real world.

THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF IBELIN
Streaming On Netflix October 25, 2024

DIRECTOR: Benjamin Ree (The Painter and the Thief)
PRODUCERS: Ingvil Giske for Medieoperatørene in co-production with Norway’s VGTV