OBEX is a 2025 American science fiction film written and directed by Albert Birney, blending lo-fi fantasy, analog horror, and surreal storytelling into a distinctive cinematic experience. Set in pre-internet 1987, the film follows Conor Marsh, a reclusive man living in Baltimore with his dog Sandy. His quiet routine is disrupted when he discovers a mysterious new computer game called OBEX--an experience that quickly transcends simple gameplay and begins to blur the boundaries between reality and fiction. What starts as curiosity spirals into a nightmarish descent, as Conor is drawn into the game's eerie, low-resolution world in a desperate attempt to rescue his kidnapped companion.

Once inside the game, Conor navigates a strange, dreamlike landscape populated by unsettling figures and cryptic environments, including encounters with a television-headed companion and the looming presence of the demonic Ixaroth. The journey unfolds as a surreal quest filled with shifting logic, fragmented memory, and symbolic encounters, culminating in a confrontation that challenges both Conor's perception of reality and his emotional attachment to the world around him. The narrative plays with cyclical structure and ambiguity, ultimately revealing the fragile line between escapism and lived experience.

Premiering at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and later released by Oscilloscope, OBEX has been praised for its inventive approach and tactile aesthetic. Shot in stark black and white and built using vintage technology, practical effects, and minimal resources, the film reflects Birney's fascination with early computing and analog media. Drawing from his background in experimental animation and DIY filmmaking, Birney crafts a work that is both nostalgic and unsettling, using the visual language of the past to comment on isolation, technology, and the increasingly blurred boundaries of modern digital life.

 

Cast & Crew

Actors:

•       Albert Birney
•       Callie Hernandez
•       Frank Mosley

Director: Albert Birney

Additional Details

Label: Oscilloscope

Genre: Sci Fi/Fantasy

Language: English

Run Time: 90 mins

Region: 0

Release Date: 05/05/26

UPC: 850078652157