Rotten Tomatoes
Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

OBEX

Play trailer 1:48 Poster for OBEX Jan 2026 1h 30m Sci-Fi Fantasy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
96% Tomatometer 54 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
In pre-internet 1987, Conor and his dog Sandy live a life of seclusion, lost in the slow-rendering graphics of early Macs and televisions aglow with late night horror movie marathons. But when he begins playing OBEX, a new and mysterious, state-of-the-art computer game, he finds himself trapped in a low-tech, but high-stakes analog hellscape as the line between reality and game blurs. Audacious and uncanny, writer-director Albert Birney's OBEX is a delightfully skewed lo-fi fantasy. Shot in striking black and white, this surreally nostalgic nightmare revisits the dawn of personal computing to reflect on the loneliness of our always-online present day.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

OBEX

OBEX

What to Know

Critics Consensus

A beguiling odyssey that offsets its scrappy production values with sumptuously analog presentation, OBEX is a wildly inventive riff on the digital world.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Richard Whittaker Austin Chronicle Jan 29
3/5
Its gentleness and incremental increases in weirdness are a feature, not a bug. Go to Full Review
Robert Lloyd Los Angeles Times Jan 16
“Obex” also reminds us that the power to be positively emboldened by tech — rather than imprisoned by it — always will be in humans’ hands, so long as we remember that we always can unplug. Go to Full Review
Maxwell Rabb Chicago Reader Jan 14
Birney’s gritty, imaginative filmmaking results in a compelling fantasy that leaves us nowhere to hide . . . from ourselves. Go to Full Review
Stephen Porzio joe.ie 12h
There is a stronger emphasis on character and mood-setting than plot and spectacle, which might test less patient viewers... Stick with the sci-fi, however, as the second half of the film is a visual marvel. Go to Full Review
Emmet Asher-Perrin Reactor Mar 11
The film delights in its own low-rent stylings, the special effects haunting for being less slickly rendered. Ixaloth the demon reminds me of a few computer game villains of my youth that gave me nightmares. Go to Full Review
Dallas King Flick Feast Mar 3
3/5
An inventive cautionary tale about the dangers of losing oneself in technology... Birney’s film feels like a love letter to the lo-fi debuts of David Lynch and Darren Aronofsky Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Logan D @Greynomad38 1h In 1987, a man buys a video game which leads to a demon being summoned. A surreal, lo-fi fantasy/psychological journey, this film is about character and mood than spectacle or even plot. Although it takes a while to get moving, the second half is impressive considering Birney (who also stars) was working on a small budget. Although not as strong as Strawberry Mansions I did enjoy how it portrays video games as having deep meaning to some in the 80s. See more Michael S. @gubernova 1d Just dull and at times disturbingly odd. See more Boomer B @RT37592678 Mar 14 I really enjoyed this movie, as rough as it is. The concept is amazing and for a certain generation, we remember these days. It was very low budget, yet a lot of work went into making it. It so brings back the days of ASCII gaming and the actors, including the dog, did good jobs. It is very bizarre and the tie in to the locust infestations that happen every few years was very innovative. This is a fun little movie, I was very happy to pay my $3.99 to see it. Would have been fun in a theater. I enjoyed the black and white, as well. This movie is what indie very low budget movies are all about. See more Vincent S @Vin_E_At_The_Movies Mar 8 This is highly original, nostalgic, quirky and very creative and that is rare these days for movies. This is the pure definition of a Midnight Movie special, See more Matthew R @RT52830269 Feb 27 Well, i mean it was cute and a little dorky, very low-fi, so keep that in mind. Its a good message but not very strongly placed. At only 90 mins, its worth a watch See more TheMovieSearch R @TheMovieSearch Feb 19 OBEX is a black and white drama that feels designed more for nostalgic critics than modern audiences. The story follows a man programming what resembles a video game simulation, but the narrative is emotionally hollow and painfully slow. The lead character comes across as distant and unsettling without depth, making it hard to connect. When the film shifts toward a creepier tone, it feels forced rather than earned. The screenplay lacks momentum, and scenes drag without purpose. While the minimalist cinematography appears intentional, it adds little energy or engagement. Instead of feeling artistic, it feels outdated and indulgent. There is no real rewatch value here. Ultimately, OBEX is a dull, inaccessible film that fails to adapt its retro style into something compelling for today’s audience, leaving little impact once it ends. See more Read all reviews
OBEX

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW
Ink 100% 81% Ink Watchlist Sorry to Bother You 93% 70% Sorry to Bother You Watchlist TRAILER for Sorry to Bother You The Second Age of Aquarius 100% 80% The Second Age of Aquarius Watchlist The Animal Kingdom 83% 75% The Animal Kingdom Watchlist TRAILER for The Animal Kingdom Superman 83% 90% Superman Watchlist TRAILER for Superman Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis In pre-internet 1987, Conor and his dog Sandy live a life of seclusion, lost in the slow-rendering graphics of early Macs and televisions aglow with late night horror movie marathons. But when he begins playing OBEX, a new and mysterious, state-of-the-art computer game, he finds himself trapped in a low-tech, but high-stakes analog hellscape as the line between reality and game blurs. Audacious and uncanny, writer-director Albert Birney's OBEX is a delightfully skewed lo-fi fantasy. Shot in striking black and white, this surreally nostalgic nightmare revisits the dawn of personal computing to reflect on the loneliness of our always-online present day.
Director
Albert Birney
Producer
Emma Hannaway, Pete Ohs, James Belfer, Albert Birney
Screenwriter
Albert Birney, Pete Ohs
Distributor
Oscilloscope Laboratories
Production Co
Cartuna, True Friend
Genre
Sci-Fi, Fantasy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 9, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 6, 2026
Runtime
1h 30m
Most Popular at Home Now