An ode to the analogue days before the internet and a comedic clarion call about the dangers of letting screen life become our only life, OBEX is the latest lo-fi wonder from ingenious indie auteur Albert Birney (Strawberry Mansion).

Filmed in stunning monochrome black and white by co-writer Pete Ohs (Erupcja), the film follows agoraphobic computer nerd Conor (Birney), who lives a secluded life in 1987 Baltimore with his dog Sandy, eking out a living making digital portraits on his old-school Mac. Their lives are only lit up by the glow of Conor’s computer and television screens — and the voice of Mary (Callie Hernandez), who delivers his groceries. One day Conor stumbles on an add for a new state-of-the-art computer game that promises to put you directly in the action, and soon finds himself on an epic journey to rescue Sandy from its low-tech hellscape where he encounters winsome fairies, armored knights, humanoid cicada soldiers, and a demon king named Ixaroth. 

A delightful mix of classic creature features, analogue video games, and RPGs like “Dungeons and Dragons,” OBEX has a handmade originality that feels all too rare in our current cinematic landscape. The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival where Birney competed for the NEXT Innovator Award.