Baltimore filmmaker Albert Birney returns with his quirky whimsy in the new film OBEX. Set in 1987, we follow Connor (Birney) who, despite his reclusive habits, is lured into a fantastic adventure within a 4-bit video game only to become aware of the world beyond. Typical of Birney‘s work, themes of personal growth and connection are explored with a sense of optimism and whimsy. While the action does seem to take a bit of time to really get going this time around, we are eventually off and running with what is sure to be one of the most disarming, and inventive movies of the year.

As the film opens, Connor contentedly starts his semi-solitary day living alone with his dog Sandy. After watching some TV Connor begins a day of work creating rudimentary mail-order portraits based on photos via his cutting edge, dot matrix printer. Life is good, or so he thinks. Yes, it’s cicada season and the noise from outside is deafening, but who needs to go outside anyway. In fact, the only human connection that Connor endures is with Mary (Callie Hernandez) who delivers his groceries to him on a weekly basis. Even then he just chats with her through the door.

One day, Connor is poring over the latest computer magazine and discovers an ad for a new game called OBEX. This new video game is unique in that it invites players to actually be put into the game. After shooting a self tape on his camcorder, and answering a few questions he sends of his order along with the tape. Days later a singular little 3.5″ floppy disc arrives and Connor slides it into his computer. The goal of the game is to journey to the castle and defeat a nasty demon that has been stealing the maidens of the land. Initially not very impressive, Connor turns it off and goes to bed. The next morning, however, his beloved dog, Sandy is missing. Before he knows it, Connor is sucked into the computer world and is actually a character in the game. He must journey to the castle to save his beloved dog and the adventure begins.

Filmed in a grainy black and white, the film commits 100% to creating a sense of time, place and character. Co-writer and cinematographer Pete Ohs’ paints a grainy 16 millimeter world of early tech complete with artifacts and scratches. Additionally, Josh Dibb‘s score is all 8-bit melodies and noises. Another hallmark of Birney’s work is the resourcefulness and the ability to build worlds with inconsistent, but oddly appropriate visual styles. As Connor moves along on his journey, a pair of fairies floats around him realistically. In the next scene Connor battles cicada men and even makes friends with an anthropomorphic television named Victor (Frank Mosley) who is just a guy in a suit with a TV for a head. It’s jarring and wonderful all at once.

Birney explores existential conundrums with a simplicity that seems to make sense. In one scene Victor describes the TV version of the afterlife where TV’s are instead allowed to sit and watch people. Still happiness, Connor realizes, is found beyond comfortable routine and confines. While I won’t spoil the ending, I can say that I left the theater with a huge, childish smile on may face.

OBEX has a slow start, but it builds into a fantastic Sci-fi adventure about the sources of happiness in life and the joys of breaking routine.