You know that moment when a video game gets a little too immersive? When you’ve been grinding for hours, your eyes are dry, and you start to feel like the NPCs are judging your life choices? Well, OBEX takes that concept, straps it to a rocket, and launches it straight into a surreal nightmare dimension. And honestly? We’re here for it.
Released back in January, this little 91-minute oddity has been quietly buzzing in the streaming shadows, and with its recent arrival on more platforms, it’s high time we unpack this gloriously weird trip. Directed by and starring Albert Birney, OBEX is a fantasy-adventure-horror hybrid that feels like a lost VHS tape from the late '80s, rediscovered and given a glossy, modern sheen. It’s the kind of movie that doesn't just break the mold; it melts the mold and uses it to paint a haunted portrait of a dog.
The setup is deceptively simple. Conor Marsh (Birney) lives a quiet, solitary life with his best friend and furry roommate, Sandy (played by the scene-stealing Dorothy the Dog). They have a routine, a bond, and a general vibe of peaceful isolation. But then Conor gets his hands on OBEX, a "state-of-the-art" computer game that promises an adventure beyond your wildest dreams. Spoiler alert: it delivers, but not in the way the box art suggests.
One moment, Sandy is there. The next, she’s gone. Poof. Vanished into thin air. And Conor, in a panic, realizes the only clue to her disappearance lies inside the game. So he dives headfirst into the pixelated void, and the line between his living room and the digital underworld starts to blur faster than you can say "insert coin."
What follows is a fever dream of epic proportions. Conor, now wearing the mantle of his in-game avatar, Ixaroth (also Birney, clearly a man of many hats), must navigate a bizarre landscape populated by cicada soldiers, a mysterious woman in a field (Gloria Probably, and honestly, what a name), and a knight who may or may not be the Nightmare Man (Tyler Davis pulling triple duty). The stakes are simple - find the dog, save the day - but the execution is anything but.
Birney, who also co-wrote the film, clearly isn't interested in a straightforward "gamer rescues pet" narrative. Instead, OBEX plays like a moody, synth-driven meditation on loneliness, obsession, and the stories we build around the things we love. The horror is less about jump scares and more about a creeping, existential dread. It’s the feeling of being watched by your own computer screen, of losing track of time while your real life quietly slips away. Callie Hernandez pops up as Mary, a grounding presence in the chaos, while Frank Mosley’s Victor adds a layer of ambiguous menace that keeps you on your toes.
Visually, it’s a treat. Birney leans into a lo-fi aesthetic that feels intentional and charming, mixing practical effects with early-CGI vibes to create a world that looks like a cursed PlayStation 1 cutscene brought to life. It’s not always pretty, but it’s always fascinating.
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room - or the dog in the game. The TMDb rating sits at a modest 5.95/10, and that feels about right. This is not a crowd-pleasing blockbuster. It’s slow, deliberately obtuse, and at times, frustratingly vague. You’ll spend a good chunk of the runtime asking, "Wait, is this real or is he just hallucinating?" But that’s kind of the point. OBEX isn't interested in giving you easy answers; it wants you to sit in the uncertainty, to feel Conor’s desperation and confusion.
If you’re a fan of experimental indie cinema, of films like Beyond the Black Rainbow or The Lighthouse but with a goofier, more canine-centric heart, you’ll find a lot to love here. It’s a movie that respects your intelligence while also making you feel like you’re losing your mind. The relationship between Conor and Sandy is the emotional core, and it’s genuinely touching, which makes the weirdness easier to swallow.
So, is OBEX worth your time? Absolutely - if you’re in the mood for something different. Something that feels like a secret handshake between filmmakers and cinephiles who crave the weird. It’s a strange, awkward, and surprisingly moving little gem. Just maybe keep your own dog close while you watch. You never know when a rogue video game might come looking for a new companion.
