By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.3 cats
Director: Albert Birney
Starring: Albert Birney | Callie Hernandez | Frank Mosley
Year: 2025
Running time: 90
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29544916/reference/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_3_nm_4_in_0_q_obex
Val says: “A young man, possible agoraphobic but living a happy, quiet life with his dog in 1987 Baltimore has his world turned upside down when he decides to participate in an experimental new ‘interactive’ video game that leads him on a journey to save his dog and himself.
“The best part of this film for me was the way so many different art forms, visual effects, and throwback design moments blended so well in a unifying black and white presentation. I am a huge fan of classic video games, and this film played on that nostalgia without overdoing it – it felt that every visual decision was in service of the story. I’ll be nominating Sandy the Dog for Best performance. 4 cats”
Diane says: “1987. A thirtyish-year-old man lives a life of isolation and routine after having lost his mother. Conor’s home is full of that era’s technology: boxy TVs, VHS tapes, old computers, simple video games. He makes his living by creating personalized portraits on a dot matrix printer. It’s a mysterious video game that helps Conor move past his grief and re-engage with the world.
“Director/lead Albert Birney’s choice of b/w is perhaps intended to establish a sense of time past, but the cinematography is too crisp in the first half to make that effective. From my front row seat, the grating high-pitched sound and pulsing lights that pervaded the long second half (what’s worse: cicadas or a matrix printer?) made me worry that I was on the brink of a seizure. At times, the animation/effects seemed like they could be a creation of Michel Gondry (see my earlier review).
“I found OBEX tedious and self-indulgent, but your mileage may vary. Midnight movie material? 2 cats for creativity.”
Julie says: “Set in the pre-internet era in 1987, Conor, lives a reclusive life with his lovable dog Sandy. Conor’s days appear to be ground-hog-day-like, until the day he starts playing a new game OBEX and his life takes a turn. The film mixes fantasy, horror and realism in a unique way to produce an intriguing story. Great use of sound with cicadas and his dot matrix printer taking center stage. Great production design and screenplay. For those of us who yearn for all things analog it was not too self indulgent but I can see how one might think that. 4 cats
“Seen at the Brattle Theater 4/25/2025 9:45 90 minutes run time as part of the IFF Boston”