This 96%-Rated Dreamy Sci-Fi Movie Inspired by Lynch Is the Main Hidden Gem of 2025 You Missed

OBEX, a black-and-white movie directed by Albert Birney, was one of last year's major yet underrated festival revelations. Caught up in the big premieres, general audiences likely missed this quiet, strange, and hypnotic film.

OBEX is an homage to David Lynch and the VHS aesthetic, as well as a poignant, deeply personal statement about living on the border between the real and digital worlds and how easy it is to get lost in both.

What Is 'OBEX' About?

Conor is a lonely digital artist who creates custom ASCII images for a living. He lives in a small Maryland house, communicating with the outside world only through the door. His only true connection is his dog, Sandy.

One day, Conor stumbles upon an ad for the computer game OBEX. All he has to do is record himself on a VHS tape and send it to the developers. After receiving the disk, Conor deletes the game, unable to get past the start screen.

That night, Sandy disappears. Conor goes to search for her and suddenly finds himself inside OBEX – in a dark fantasy world where his neighbor Mary turns into an elf and his companion is a man with a TV for a head.

Director Albert Birney Is a Devoted Follower of David Lynch – And This Is Evident in 'OBEX'

Birney belongs to a group of independent filmmakers for whom Lynch is not just a reference point, but a creative method. In his previous movie, Strawberry Mansion, the characters battled the taxation of dreams. In OBEX, dream logic is the primary dramatic principle.

There is no rigid cause-and-effect relationship, but rather a damp, viscous atmosphere reminiscent of a midnight nightmare. Like Lynch, Birney doesn't explain the rules of his world – he simply invites us to accept them.

In this world, analog horror coexists with evening karaoke, 3D monsters sit alongside 2D sprites, and Sandy the dog falls asleep to A Nightmare on Elm Street.

'OBEX' Is a Unique, Dreamy Sci-Fi Gem That Explores the Connection Between People and Technology

At first glance, OBEX could be mistaken for a moralizing parable about the dangers of digital addiction. The protagonist hides from the world behind walls of VHS tapes and CRT televisions while facing fog, cold, and loss in the outside world.

However, Birney is more subtle. Instead, he tenderly examines how we become ingrained in technology and how technology becomes ingrained in us.

OBEX acknowledges that we are dependent on digital worlds. However, this dependency is not just a weakness, it is also a memory and a genuine attachment.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'OBEX'?

• OBEX has 96% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 5.7/10.

• On Letterboxd, OBEX scored 3.4/5.0.

Where to Watch 'OBEX'?

OBEX is available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.