OBEX

(The 2025 Sundance Film Festival runs January 23- February 2 in and around gorgeous Park City, UT. HtN has you covered for all the hottest titles like M.J. O’Toole’s OBEX movie review. Seen it? Join the conversation with HtN on our Letterboxd Page.)
“One day we will all live in computers,” Albert Birney’s secluded technophile prophesizes. The director and actor once again explores an alternate reality’s physical and psychological depths in his newest ambitious venture, OBEX. While his previous film Strawberry Mansion (co-directed with Kentucker Audley) explored the world of dreams using flashy colors, OBEX explores a vintage take on virtual reality this time with a lack of color, shot in black-and-white by cinematographer and co-writer Pete Ohs. Like Lynch’s Eraserhead and Jarmusch’s Dead Man, this dark, surrealist comedy has its share of jaw-dropping grotesqueness and a mesmerizingly haunting atmosphere. But it doesn’t derive the heart and compassion at the center of this otherworldly lo-fi adventure we take. While the theme of preferring a virtual life to waking reality may still resonate, there is plenty of emotional depth that is shown through how far our hero is willing to go to save the one thing he truly loves.
Set in 1987, a decade where human dependency on screens took shape, Birney stars as Connor Marsh, an agoraphobic, techy man holing himself up in his cicada-surrounded Baltimore home. He lives life in a routine that would seem mundane on the surface, but one he is comfortable with nonetheless. Spending nearly every waking second in front of numerous TV screens or computer monitors (even bathing in front of one), he makes his living as an ASCII artist – his work captured in a rush of finger tapping. His only contact with the outside world is when he’s dropping off his trash or picking up a weekly grocery delivery from his kindly neighbor, Mary (Callie Hernandez) – the only human connection he endures. His only true companion is his dog Sandy (Birney’s real-life dog Dorothy) who is by his side every second. Conor’s life slowly takes a turn when he discovers an ad for a new medieval folklore-themed computer game OBEX. What is presented as a tasteless and unimpressive adventure game soon turns sinister as a devil-like creature emerges and abducts Sandy into the game. His life turned upside-down, Conor is also sucked into the world of OBEX to save her.
This sequence is where the film gets weirder and weirder, but also where Birney’s DIY strokes of visual effects shine bright. In this strange, Middle Earth-esque world Conor finds himself in, his fears and nightmares from the first half come in the form of mutated villains he is forced to confront while on his journey. It’s as if either this game was made specially for Connor, or it reads his mind in a way that makes the deepest realms of his mind come to life. As if the screen has been watching him. Birney demonstrates his ingenuity and capacity to build worlds using mind-boggling, bizarre, yet astonishing visuals – reminiscent of last year’s DIY sensation Hundreds of Beavers. After coming across knights, fairies, and nefarious cicada men, he befriends an anthropomorphic television named Victor (Frank Mosley), basically a friendly guy with an old TV set for a head who becomes Connor’s loyal guide. Almost everything we see in this universe is dark and ominous, but incredible all at once. Not to spoil how this expedition plays out, but as Connor gets deeper and deeper into this game, he is forced to confront intensifying fears and existential aspects of his life. We, the viewers, go down this rabbit hole full of unexpected turns with him every step of the way.
In his sixth feature film, Birney once again succeeds in making a one-of-a-kind film that is absurdist, imaginative, and full of undeniable depth. The balanced black-and-white cinematography from Pete Ohs is the perfect visual for both of these realities that shift tones, even when they are shot in the same color. Even Josh Dibb’s glitch-like score and Matt Giordano’s jarring sound design show how much craft has been put into this film, to effective results. No matter how dark and disturbing things got, the audience at Sundance was cheering and smiling, making this an experience that one would recommend viewing with fellow moviegoers. It goes to show the wonders that low-budget filmmaking can bring when you use your resources wisely. Giving both a committed performance and fresh directing, Albert Birney exceeds expectations at almost every turn. It’ll be exciting to see how far he can go if given a much higher budget. OBEX is a riveting and endearing journey that may not only bring some nostalgia to ‘80s tech kids, but also celebrates the expansiveness of human imagination. No software is needed there.
– M.J. O’Toole (@mj_otoole93)
2025 Sundance Film Festival; OBEX; Albery Birney