It’s a disgrace David Lynch handed away earlier than he obtained an opportunity to see Albert Birney’s movie Obex which premiered on the 2025 Sundance Movie Competition. He would have favored it. As with Lynch, Birney’s model of storytelling is a component surreal, half avant-garde, wrapped in an experimental yarn.
That is a type of movies that you just want to “get” early on to get pleasure from totally or else your logical thoughts quick circuits from lack of a simple narrative. Cling in there for an hour and your persistence will repay.
Set within the black and white period of the Eighties, Conor Marsh is an RPG online game participant and recluse who lives along with his canine Sandy. He additionally has a penchant for horror films and rising Cicadas. His newest sport Obex comprises a demonic villain who comes via the display one night time to kidnap Sandy. Finish of Act I.
Begin Act II: Conor has in some way and with out clarification been transported into Obex the place he goes on a Zelda-like journey to avoid wasting Sandy from her captor.
What occurs alongside the best way is a Wonderland journey the place he makes pals with Victor, a humanoid with an previous TV set for a head. They make their approach via the Valley of Chrono on their method to the Nightmare Realm.
Birney performs our hero. He lives and performs among the many 640 decision period of the MS DOS pc video games of the time. He’s completely pleased conserving to himself even when his grocery supply woman appears to have an curiosity in him. He speaks to her via the entrance door and solely emerges to seize his groceries when she leaves.
Obex is a movie that’s going to enchantment to nerds and nerds at coronary heart. Not like Lynch, Birney doesn’t baffle the viewer within the narrative, as a substitute he solely warps actuality a bit of bit: Why does he have three TVs stacked on high of one another? Why does his over-protective mom go to him in lucid dream sequences? And people Cicadas; what’s the deal?
Whereas the narrative — like an excellent RPG journey — is linear, there are some weird, however fascinating decisions that Birney makes alongside the best way particularly within the third act. I want we might have spent extra time there, it’s much more fascinating and adventurous than the trodding improvement of Conor within the first hour.
So far as performing, Birney is okay. You by no means get the sensation that he’s not enjoying himself, however possibly that’s his genius. The actual star right here is Victor the “televison man” performed by Frank Mosely.
Obex is a comfortable Lynch-esque fantasy. Fortunately we don’t need to suppose an excessive amount of about what it’s making an attempt to say. However that doesn’t imply it’s not complicated. It has its moments and very like the pc video games within the period by which it takes place, it’s enjoyable, uncomplicated and in the end rewarding.
Obex was proven on the 2025 Sundance Movie Competition. Launch dates and future showings haven’t been established but.
