The Plot: Computer Conor and the Digital Abyss

Albert Birney stars as “Computer Conor,” a shut-in who spends his days virtuosically tapping out ASCII reproductions of photos and his nights watching a three-television-high stack of VHS tapes. His world is small, consisting of:

• Mary (Callie Hernandez): An unseen grocery-delivery girl.
• The Cicada Brood: An unsettling biological invasion emerging just outside his door.

The real trouble begins when Conor subscribes to Obex, a mail-order sword-and-sorcery video game. After a printer-glitch command (“Remove your skin”) and the arrival of the radiant demon Ixaroth, Conor’s beloved dog, Sandy, is spirited away into the machine.

A Tale of Two Halves: From Lynch to Maddin

The film’s structure shifts gears halfway through, evolving from a claustrophobic character study into a retro-gaming adventure:

The Verdict: 8-Bit Junkyard or Nostalgic Masterpiece?

While Obex is lovingly conceived and visually inventive, it stays largely at the “retro altar.” Unlike Lynch, Birney avoids true, molten ambiguity, instead resolving Conor’s quest along more conventional lines—framing it as a cautionary tale about virtual escape and childhood trauma.

However, the DIY gusto and sheer inventiveness make this a must-watch for “old heads” and Gen-Z nostalgians alike.

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