Synopsis

Ben, an autistic teenager, has a hard time fitting in at school and is often the victim of bullying. He copes with this by immersing himself in his favourite video game, 'Archlord'; an online universe where he is in control of his fate, not the bullies. But Ben's obsession with the role-playing game goes beyond harmless escapism. As he becomes more and more caught up in this fantasy world, the line between reality and virtual reality is blurred to the point where he sees characters from the video game come alive. Ben plans to exact revenge on his tormentors by learning combat techniques from Archlord; a plot point that gives weight to the argument that violent video games encourage aggressive behaviour in youngsters who are exposed to them. Inspired by true events, BEN X is a powerful, provocative, and visually arresting drama from first-time director Nic Balthazar, and introduces newcomer Greg Timmermans as the troubled teen.