OBEX(2026)

1h 30m
- Horror
- Sci-Fi

Release Date: Jan 9, 2026 | Limited

In pre-Internet 1987, Conor Marsh lives a quiet, solitary life with his dog Sandy until a mysterious new computer game called OBEX arrives. When Sandy disappears, the boundary between reality and the game blurs, and Conor must enter OBEX’s strange world to find her — a surreal journey through analog fantasy that tests his grip on both memory and identity.

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Director & Top Cast

Albert Birney
Director

Albert Birney
Conor

Callie Hernandez
Mary

Frank Mosley
Victor

Dorothy
Sandy

Other Details

Country of Origin: United States

Language: English

Summaries

Plot Summary

OBEX is a 2025 American science fiction fantasy written and directed by Albert Birney, who also stars in the lead role. The film premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and is scheduled for a limited theatrical release in the United States on January 9, 2026, via Oscilloscope Laboratories. Set in a nostalgic version of 1987 before the internet fully took hold, the story follows Conor Marsh, a reclusive creative obsessed with early computers and late-night media. His life — shared quietly with his dog Sandy — changes when he begins playing OBEX, a state-of-the-art computer game that pulls him into a dreamlike analog nightmare where the real world and the game world weave together. When Sandy disappears, Conor must confront bizarre digital landscapes, strange figures, and his own isolation in a quest to bring her home. Shot in striking black and white and blending low-tech aesthetic with surreal fantasy, OBEX explores loneliness, memory, creativity, and the strange magic of early computing. With its offbeat vision and indie spirit, the film will appeal to audiences who enjoy thoughtful genre tales that blur the boundary between reality and imagination.

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Fun Facts

The entire film was shot on black-and-white stock inside a de-commissioned Icelandic NATO command bunker; the crew had to sweep for live UXO before rolling, so every drip of concrete echo you hear is real location ambience, not Foley.