OBEX (2026): Official Trailer Breakdown, Story, Cast, Release Date, and Why This Analog Sci-Fi Film Is Turning Heads

Some films don’t just tell a story — they pull you inside a mood. OBEX is one of those rare projects. With its newly released official trailer, this black-and-white surreal sci-fi fantasy positions itself as one of early 2026’s most intriguing indie releases.

Set in a pre-internet world of flickering CRT screens, early Macintosh computers, and late-night horror TV, OBEX blends retro technology with existential dread — and the result feels unsettling in the best possible way.

Distributed by Oscilloscope Laboratories and premiering after a strong Sundance debut, OBEX isn’t chasing mainstream appeal. It’s carving out its own strange, analog nightmare.

What Is OBEX About?

Set in 1987, long before the internet reshaped reality, OBEX follows Conor Marsh, a man living in near-total isolation with only his dog, Sandy, for company.

Conor’s world consists of:

• Early Macintosh computers

• Static-filled televisions

• Endless late-night horror marathons

Then comes OBEX — a mysterious, cutting-edge computer game unlike anything he’s seen before.

What begins as curiosity quickly spirals into something far more dangerous. When Sandy goes missing, Conor realizes the boundaries between the game and reality are collapsing. To save his dog, he must enter the world of OBEX itself — a low-tech, high-stakes analog hellscape where logic breaks down and escape is uncertain.

This is not a story about winning a game.

It’s about surviving it.

A Retro Sci-Fi Nightmare With Modern Anxiety

What makes OBEX stand out isn’t just its premise — it’s the aesthetic commitment.

Shot in stark black-and-white, the film leans hard into:

• Early computer graphics

• Analog distortion

• Slow-loading interfaces

• Minimalist, oppressive environments

The result feels like:

• A lost VHS from the late ’80s

• A surreal cousin to Videodrome

• A digital fever dream built before digital comfort existed

Despite the retro setting, the themes are painfully modern: obsession, escapism, isolation, and what happens when technology becomes the only place that feels controllable.

Cast: Small, Focused, and Perfectly Cast

Albert Birney as Conor Marsh

Birney doesn’t just star — he also directs and co-writes the film. His performance as Conor is quiet, inward, and deeply uncomfortable in a way that feels authentic. This is a man unraveling slowly, not theatrically.

Callie Hernandez as Mary

Hernandez brings emotional grounding and ambiguity to the film. Her presence cuts through the cold aesthetic, offering moments of humanity that may or may not be trustworthy.

Frank Mosley as Victor

Mosley adds an unsettling edge, embodying the type of character who feels like he knows more than he should — and isn’t eager to explain.

Additional cast includes Paisley Isaacs, Tyler Davis, and others, filling out the strange orbit around Conor’s descent.

Behind the Camera: A Personal Vision

OBEX is very much an auteur-driven project.

• Director: Albert Birney

• Writers: Albert Birney, Pete Ohs

• Cinematography: Pete Ohs

• Editing: Albert Birney, Pete Ohs

• Music: Josh Dibb

This tight creative loop gives the film a cohesive, almost handmade feel — as if every frame was deliberately shaped to feel slightly off, slightly wrong.

Produced by Cartuna, True Friend, Spartan Media Acquisitions, Salem Street Entertainment, and Ley Line Entertainment, the film balances indie experimentation with disciplined craft.

Sundance Premiere and Critical Buzz

OBEX had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2025 — a strong indicator of its artistic credibility.

Shortly after, Oscilloscope Laboratories acquired distribution rights, reinforcing the idea that this film fits squarely into their catalog of bold, boundary-pushing cinema.

Festival reactions highlighted:

• Its commitment to atmosphere over exposition

• The effectiveness of its analog horror aesthetic

• Its refusal to explain everything

This is a film that trusts the audience — and challenges them.

Release Date and Where to Watch

• Film Title: OBEX

• Genre: Science Fiction, Surreal Fantasy

• Running Time: 90 minutes

• Distributor: Oscilloscope Laboratories

• Theatrical Release (US): January 9, 2026

• World Premiere: Sundance Film Festival 2025

Streaming details have not yet been announced, but Oscilloscope titles typically find strong post-theatrical digital releases.

Why OBEX Could Become a Cult Sci-Fi Favorite

OBEX isn’t designed to be universally loved — and that’s exactly why it works.

It will appeal to viewers who love:

• Slow-burn science fiction

• Retro tech aesthetics

• Surreal, ambiguous storytelling

• Films that prioritize mood over answers

This is the kind of movie people discover late at night, recommend cautiously, and remember vividly.

Not because it was comfortable.But because it wasn’t.

Final Verdict

OBEX feels like a warning encoded in flickering pixels — about losing yourself to systems you don’t fully understand, and about how technology can become a maze when loneliness does the steering.

In a landscape crowded with polished, algorithm-friendly sci-fi, OBEX stands out by embracing imperfection, discomfort, and mystery.

If you’re looking for a science fiction film that feels genuinely different, this is one to keep firmly on your radar in 2026.