OBEX

Watched at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

Director Albert Birney proves that despite a small budget, he is still able to create a unique, digital, and visually appealing experience of a movie. While Obex isn't my favorite of his, it's unique premise, simple structure, and visual fun presentation makes it a nice, fun and cute adventure that explores through the regimes of reality vs. Fiction.

Provided with good camerawork and a good performance from Birney himself, the tone, atmosphere, and video game vibe is perfect. Creating this nostalgic vibe that remains me a lot of the 90s game world and the community surrounding it. Including fun dialogue, characters, costume designs, and some really good uses of black and white visuals and presentations throughout. Many of the VFX, outfits and production sets are cheap but because of the self-aware nature and how Birney is able to craft the story, it feels really unique and creative.

You have to give credit for Albert Birney being able to create this weird nostalgic and colorful works in his career as he and his team always find some creative ways to make a movie despite it's low budget. Ever since his work on Strawberry Mansion and his shorts, I love to see him continue to branch out more and more.