Ben X

Ben is a teenager with Asperger's syndrome who finds everyday life at his technical school unbearable, where two classmates single him out for relentless harassment. His escape is an online role-playing game, where he plays as a skilled and confident hero under the name Ben X and where he meets Scarlite, a young woman he comes to care about. The line between the game and his real circumstances blurs, and he forms an extreme plan to end his suffering. Scarlite, however, was not part of that plan, and she steps into his life in person.

The film is a Belgian drama directed by Nic Balthazar, who also wrote the screenplay, adapting it from his own novel. It was his first feature; he went on to direct Team Rudy, released in 2026. Greg Timmermans plays Ben, with Laura Verlinden as Scarlite, Marijke Pinoy and Pol Goossen as his parents, and Titus De Voogdt and Maarten Claeyssens as his tormentors.

Made for about 2 million dollars, the film took roughly 3 million worldwide, a modest return on a small production. It holds a 7.3 rating on IMDb from around 20,000 votes and a 7 on TMDB from over 300 votes, while its critics' score stands at 6.2 from 37 reviews, so audiences have responded more warmly than reviewers on average.