New sci-fi movie with 96% on Rotten Tomatoes can be watched at home now

The film has been described as 'Eraserhead meets The Legend of Zelda'.

Described as a "surreal lo-fi fantasy adventure", the film follows Conor (co-writer and director Albert Birney - Strawberry Mansion, Sylvio), a man who lives a secluded life with his dog, Sandy.

Having had a turbulent childhood (the details of which are teased throughout the narrative), Conor has turned his back on the outside world, choosing instead to devote himself to the computer and TV screens inside his house.

He hires a neighbour (the great Callie Hernandez, Alien: Covenant) to do his grocery shopping. He makes money by digitally crafting portraits of people. He spends his nights watching horror movies on TV and firing up his home karaoke machine.

Seeking something more, however, he signs up for a new and state-of-the-art computer game.

Titled OBEX, what makes it distinct from other games of the time is that players can take scans of themselves, so that their avatars look more like them.

As Conor starts immersing himself in OBEX, the line between reality and gaming blurs. Eventually, the hermit feels compelled to enter the world of the game Tron-style on an important quest.

Indie writer-director Birney penned the script for OBEX alongside fellow indie filmmaker Pete Ohs (Jethica, the upcoming Charli XCX-starring drama Erupcja).

Given that the sci-fi was made without major stars on a micro-budget, it should be expected that it doesn't feel or move like a typical film in the genre.

There is a stronger emphasis on character and mood-setting than plot and spectacle, which might test less patient viewers. It's only at the 50-minute mark, in an 89-minute movie, that Birney's lead character Conor enters the world of the video game, arguably the real selling point of the plot.

Albert Birney in OBEX

During the first half of OBEX, viewers might wish to bail on the project. We'd urge them to stick with the sci-fi, however, as the second half of the film is a visual marvel.

Birney's background is in animation, particularly of the 8-bit variety. Between his emulation of early computer graphics, some DIY special effects, and the cold, eerie black-and-white photography (courtesy of cinematographer Ohs), the movie looks so striking and not quite like anything we've ever seen before.

For what it's worth, IndieWire described the film as a mix between David Lynch's Eraserhead and The Legend of Zelda, a vibe impressively conjured, particularly since the budget of OBEX was reportedly only $15k.

The second half of the movie even makes the slower first half of the film better in retrospect.

Not only does the mundanity of Conor's existence contrast incredibly with the more fantastical elements to come, but OBEX ultimately reveals itself as a cautionary tale.

Yes, the warm glow of CRT screens and the quick dopamine hit of completing a video game can sometimes feel like a shelter from the messy, often cruel outside world. But their pleasures are fleeting and ultimately unsatisfying compared to what you can find in reality.

OBEX is out now on Blu-ray and digital.