'OBEX' Review: An Otherworldly, Surreal Sci-Fi Journey David Lynch Would Be Proud Of | Sundance 2025

Albert Birney’s OBEX is a dark, twisted, and nonsensical fantasy about a man who gets sucked into a video game and forced to fend for his life while trying to recover his most trusted companion; a Wizard of Oz-esque mixed with a dash of Wizard of Wor, all while millions of bugs emerge after long dormancy just to add to the level of auditory anxiety. It was a strange feeling watching OBEX mere days after the passing of David Lynch. With its start black and white imagery, low-fi aesthetic, and fascination with introverted characters, it’s fair to say that the likes of Eraserhead were on my mind while watching Albert Birney’s latest. Then again, given its video game structure based on a series of quests, it was easy to think warmly of 100s of Beavers, or a canine caper like John Wick.