OBEX

Opens Friday, January 9, 2026

Special Events

  • Fri Jan 9 : 

    Q&A with dir. Albert Birney moderated by Jane Schoenbrun after the 7:30 show

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  • Sat Jan 10 : 

    Q&A with dir. Albert Birney moderated by Graham Mason after the 7:30 show

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  • Sun Jan 11 : 

    Q&A with dir. Albert Birney moderated by Kelsey Lu after the 2:50 show

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SHOWTIMES AT IFC CENTER

Friday, January 9 at 7:30: Q&A with director Albert Birney moderated by Jane Schoenbrun after the show

Saturday, January 10 at 7:30: Q&A with director Albert Birney moderated by Graham Mason after the show

Sunday, January 11 at 2:50: Q&A with director Albert Birney moderated by Kelsey Lu after the show

In pre-internet 1987, Conor and his dog Sandy live a life of seclusion, lost in the slow-rendering graphics of early Macs and televisions aglow with late night horror movie marathons. But when he begins playing OBEX, a new and mysterious, state-of-the art computer game, he finds himself trapped in a low-tech, but high-stakes analog hellscape as the line between reality and game blurs.

Audacious and uncanny, writer-director Albert Birney’s OBEX is a delightfully skewed lo-fi fantasy. Shot in striking black and white, this surreally nostalgic nightmare revisits the dawn of personal computing to reflect on the loneliness of our always-online present day.

Official Selection: Sundance Film Festival

Additional showtimes for Jan 9-15 to be announced.

  • Country USA
  • Running Time 91 minutes
  • Format DCP
  • Distributor Oscilloscope
  • Director Albert Birney
  • Cast Albert Birney, Callie Hernandez, Frank Mosley
  • Accessibility Assistive Listening, T-Coil

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.