Netflix audiences have been left deeply moved by the emotionally charged documentary that’s recently landed on the streaming service.
Titled The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, the film explores the story of a young Norwegian whose passion for World of Warcraft was cut short due to a degenerative muscular disease, which ultimately claimed his life at just 25 years.
Despite his parents’ belief that he lived a reclusive life, they were astonished to discover a vast network of friends from his online gaming community following his passing.
Over the weekend, viewers were compelled to share their heartfelt responses to Mats Steen’s narrative, whose character in the game gave the film its name.
“The Remarkable Life Of Ibelin lands on Netflix today,” posted one cinephile on X (formerly known as Twitter), reports the Manchester Evening News.
“I saw this a couple of months ago at NZIFF and can heartily recommend it. One of the saddest, yet most joyous things I’ve seen in a long time, and concrete proof that things are sometimes never as they seem.”
Emotionally struck by the documentary, another said: “Just finished watching the Remarkable Life of Ibelin and I’m not OK. I’ve been crying for 20 mins. This story hit hard, especially for me personally since I have been through a very similar thing. HIGHLY recommend watching this (it’s on netflix), even if you don’t play WoW!”
A film critic on Letterboxd remarked, “Gaming not only as an escape, but as a conduit for friendship, love, and community.”
They praised the documentary’s unique storytelling, stating: “Adored the decision to have some of the documentary told through the World of Warcraft animation, adds a layer of intimacy that otherwise could not be accessed.”
The review turned deeply personal as they shared: “Anyways, I sobbed for 106 straight minutes.”
Another user was moved by the film, saying: “IBELIN reduced me to a mess.
“A moving tribute to a remarkable individual and a meditation on the transformative power of shared video games, and the special lives we can lead within them.”
One Letterboxd user confessed their hesitancy and subsequent reaction: “I delayed watching this for a long time because I knew it would destroy me. I was right.”
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SkyDemonstrating the impact of the film, a person posted online with a tearful selfie: “Just watched The Remarkable Life of Ibelin and I have never cried this much in my life. I am in pieces jfc. What a beautiful film.”
There’s a mention of a heartfelt in-game tribute: viewers noted the addition of a poignant detail; a memorial to Ibelin within the game which receives regular visits from his friends and fans online.
An individual described a shared viewing experience showing the breadth of the film’s impact: “Watched The Remarkable Life of Ibelin on Netflix this evening with @Tufftales and oh boy is it incredible yet heartbreaking.
“Can’t recommend it enough to any gamer, especially MMO/WoW folk. Visited his in-game memorial right after, seems we weren’t the only ones.”
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin is available to stream on Netflix.