A reclusive nerd must enter a video game to fight a demon and rescue his dog in this quirky feast of horror, comedy and sci-fi with old-school gaming aesthetics thrown into a blender with Lynchian dread.
One of those inventive indie films that feels like a true discovery for any cinephile who appreciates the charm of low-budget, avant-garde cinema
OBEX 2025
Taking equal influence from the dreamlike atmospherics of Eraserhead and the comforting lo-fi imagery of retro gaming, comes a film that is as hard to categorise as it is to forget. Melding horror, comedy and sci-fi into its genre cauldron, it delivers psychedelic and surreal imagery that will haunt your dreams and inspire your imagination.
When the beloved dog of the quiet and reclusive Conor, (played by director, co-writer and editor, Albert Birney) goes missing, he must travel into a mysterious game world to go on a rescue mission, encountering maidens and battling monsters with weapons he finds along the way. All set to a retrowave soundtrack composed by Deakin of Animal Collective fame and shot in gorgeous black and white.
Set in 1987 and romanticising tech and video game imagery from the era, OBEX is a treat for viewers who remember a time before TVs were flat, when we had to rewind our movies and when 8-bit graphics were the pinnacle of quality. A heady dose of nostalgia gets tweaked until it becomes an analog nightmare making this required viewing for anyone enamored with 80s aesthetics. — Jordan Salomen