[2] Mats Steen, a Norwegian man born with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, becomes increasingly unable to participate in everyday activities.

As Ibelin, Steen kept his identity and medical condition a secret, worried that other guild members would treat him differently if they knew.

He refused to communicate outside text chat, but he still developed close relationships with other guild members.

[7] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 78 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

[8] Variety praised the film, stating "It’s a world unto itself, and a glowing example of how moviemaking—like a person’s digital footprint—can be a form of immortality that soothes even the most devastating loss.

[2][10][11][12] Cineeuropa found that Ree "ends up with a film that’s not about death; rather, it’s about friendship, love and life.