STORYLINE: Conor Marsh’s secluded life is disrupted when he plays the OBEX game. His dog Sandy disappears, blurring reality and game. Conor enters the OBEX world to rescue Sandy, navigating its strange realms. (IMDb)

  Movies and video and  related games are a natural crossover.  Trom (1982) is the textbook example of such a crossover.  Though a board game based movie, as a child of the nineties Jujanji (1995), forever holds a place in my heart.  Wreck it Ralph (2012) and Ready Player One (2018) crafted worlds for audiences of all ages to play in.  Obex takes viewers on a multilevel cinematic experience.

   Not all films are straight forward. Their stories are designed to have the viewer question what they are watching. Some of these films may have reality being blurred, others have untrustworthy narrators.  David Lynch was expert at crafting these type of features. Obex has the atmosphere of a David Lynch film mixed with the movies of the gamer genre.  All this set in the late eighties. 

   The film blurs reality with fantasy as the central character makes his way through a video game he has been transported into.  In this game he meets those in his life, and confronts changes, that he faces in reality.  He is also looking back at his life.  The film shows how uncomfortable it can be to be pushed out of one’s comfort zone, but how important change can be. 

    The feature has a unique visual style that matches the characters journey as well.  The style transitions from bland to bold through the course of the film.

    Obex is a David Lymch style movie, that blurs fantasy and reality to challenge those watching it.

    Until next time, I will see you at the movies!