OBEX Review: A Creative, Low-Fidelity, and Surreal Journey

      Note: This review was initially published as part of our coverage for the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Obex is set to be released in theaters on January 9.

      Since the early '80s, films like David Cronenberg’s Videodrome and Steven Lisberger’s TRON have explored the exciting yet frightening aspects of humanity's connection to screens. Recently, this topic has gained renewed attention as the prevalence of screens in daily life continues to grow. Last year's Sundance Film Festival saw Jane Schoebruen delve into the bonds formed around media and the subsequent nostalgia in I Saw the TV Glow. This year, OBEX features Albert Birney following Strawberry Mansion with another unique and low-fi adventure, but this time the director narrows his focus in a more gratifying manner. Despite our protagonist spending all his time in front of a screen, the film does not deliver a scathing critique but rather a sincere, even touching exploration of how entertainment can offer solace to the most isolated individuals.

      Set in 1987 Baltimore, a particularly unfortunate year with the onslaught of 17-year cicadas aggravating Conor Marsh (played by Birney), who is a reclusive, agoraphobic person. His contact with the outside world is limited to taking out the trash or receiving his weekly grocery deliveries from his friendly neighbor, Mary (Callie Hernandez). The rest of his waking hours are consumed by screen time. He earns a living as an ASCII artist on his Mac computer, highlighted by comedic scenes of him tapping away at the keyboard. His evenings revolve around his distinctive three-TV arrangement, where he records special programs, especially Nightmare on Elm Street, to add to his extensive VHS library. He even bathes in front of the TV and falls asleep to it, accompanied by a primitive MP3 player that provides audio requests with basic visual effects. Conor’s isolated existence, shared with his beloved dog Sandy, is disrupted by the release of a new interactive game, OBEX.

      Initially, the game appears to be a simplistic, cheesy adventure. However, when Sandy goes missing, Conor's world is thrown into chaos as he sets out to rescue her, immersing himself in an exhilarating new realm. While it’s best not to reveal too much about the divided second half, Birney manages a DIY visual effects achievement that brings to mind the unsettling creatures from Carlos Reygadas’ Post Tenebras Lux, as well as the inventive spirit of Hundreds of Beavers and the Zelda-influenced Riddle of Fire, all infused with elements reminiscent of the late David Lynch. As the fears and nightmares from the first part evolve into more tangible forms in the second, OBEX employs striking sound design that captures the overwhelming presence of cicadas and the shocking static associated with the early digital age, alongside visuals that echo the eerie insect-related imagery from The Return’s “Gotta Light?”

      All this creativity would be futile if Birney failed to establish an emotional core. Although the potential romance with Mary feels somewhat underdeveloped, he manages to capture the poignancy surrounding our relationship with screens. By anthropomorphizing the unexpected, Birney examines his character's upbringing through a strangely impactful lens, incorporating complex dynamics with his mother in Lynchian dream sequences and a brief, memorable exchange with his deceased father. For Birney, growing up surrounded by televisions and screens isn't to be completely disregarded; it's depicted as a doorway to new worlds and dimensions.

      As Conor progresses towards his objective—filled with whimsical, Middle Earth-like elements and matte-style backdrops that create a sense of scale despite the small budget—the film's conclusion can feel like a chaotic amalgamation. Still, with Pete Ohs’s cohesive black-and-white cinematography, Birney's dedicated performance, and a wide array of clever homemade visual effects, OBEX presents an inherently enjoyable experience that should resonate with more viewers than just those whose childhoods were inextricably tied to this earlier era of computing.

      OBEX premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.