‘Check’ Is An Elegant Abstract Representation Of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Check is a short film that represents the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) cycle of obsession, anxiety, compulsion, and (temporary) relief.

Directed by London-based animator and director Anita Gill, Check uses an assortment of shapes, lines, and textures to capture the chaotic and repetitive nature of OCD. The film begins with a minimalist stove knob rotating. This leads to a pattern of repeating actions and the animation soon expands to include other household objects. As the film progresses, it becomes increasingly busy and abstract, reflecting the feeling of spiraling deeper into compulsive behavior.

The overwhelming use of abstract patterns reflects the anxiety-inducing nature of OCD. The film ends with a sudden calm, leaving the viewer unsettled knowing this cycle can repeat itself many times a day.

Gill’s 2d animation style, which evokes touches of Russian Constructivism and Bauhaus art movements, manages an elegant balance between representational art and abstraction, and the motion becomes increasingly frantic as the compulsion grows. The sound design is equally important to the film, and becomes more erratic in tandem with the visuals.

Gill wrote that the sounds in the film were created in her own kitchen and initially meant to be temp sound: “The plan initially was to use these as placeholders before ‘proper sounds’ were created, but as I got more attached to these sounds of wooden spoons and clanging keys, they felt like they were part of the film in a way I hadn’t expected.”