Written by: Christopher Llewellyn Reed | October 5th, 2025
OBEX (Albert Birney, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars
The films of director Albert Birney—be they of the live action variety (Strawberry Mansion) or animated (Tux and Fanny)—are always loving tributes to the meticulous process of artistic creation. Each shot within each scene is composed with great consideration, the visual components beautifully coming together while also advancing the story. Such is very much the case with his latest, OBEX, in which Birney also stars in the lead role, ably assisted by his dog, Dorothy.
Conor Marsh (Birney) leads a peaceable-enough life in 1987 Baltimore, comfortably alone in his rowhome with Sandy (Dorothy), a rescued canine who showed up one day and never left. An introvert who prefers not to interact directly with others (he has hired a woman, Mary, to shop for groceries once a week), Conor passes the time hanging out with Sandy, watching VHS tapes, and crafting recreations of photos sent to him by clients who want their likenesses typed on his Macintosh and exported to his dot-matrix printer. For $5, it’s a cute gimmick.
Read full article: New/Next Review: “OBEX” | Film Festival Today
