Loading up at this year’s Glasgow Film Festival, is OBEX. But is this an 8-Bit hit, or game over for Albert Birney’s ode to the powerful allure of gaming.
Conor Marsh lives a secluded life with his dog, Sandy, until one day he begins playing OBEX, a new, state-of-the-art computer game. When Sandy disappears, the line between reality and gaming blurs, and Conor must enter the world of OBEX to save her.
Birney’s film feels like a love letter to the lo-fi debuts of David Lynch and Darren Aronofsky; from the grainy black-and-white cinematography, discordant score and sound mix, to the socially-awkward protagonist who feels more at home with technology than other human beings.
“Someday we will all live in computers because life outside is too sad”, Conor tells the makers of OBEX in his audition tape to have his likeness inserted into the game.
The irony is that Conor has already given up on the outside world. He drowns out the incessant hissing of a cicada infestation in his garden with the static hum of his computers and multiple television sets. He receives his post and food delivered to the safety of his doorstep by Mary, his only interaction with another human, albeit at the other end of the phone or door.
The first half does an excellent job of developing Conor as this savant-like shut-in, whilst a genuine sense of unease and dread slowly permeates every corner of the frame. The fact that Conor watches A Nightmare On Elm Street only serves to compound the dangerous dream-like quality of his existence as the game begins to bleed out from the hard drive and into the house.
However, once Conor enters the game, the film loses its way a little. The inner quest and gameplay mechanics are not as strong, and with their fantastical nature, are at odds with the menacing, macabre atmosphere generated to that point. Only coming through once again in the final battle with the “Big Boss” and horned demon Ixaroth.
Overall, OBEX is an inventive cautionary tale about the dangers of losing oneself in technology, even if it loses its own way in the middle. Think of it as a BETA skin because Birney shows some intriguing promise as a storyteller and filmmaker. Plus, he has an ace up his sleeve, in the form of Dorothy the dog, who steals the show.
OBEX had its UK Premiere at Glasgow Film Festival on March 2, and will be available on Digital from March 9
Rating: 
Director: Albert Birney
Stars: Albert Birney, Callie Hernandez, Frank Mosley, Dorothy
Runtime: 90 minutes
Country: USA
