Taint.mov May 2026

This paper explores the visual and thematic elements of the short digital work "Taint.mov." By examining its use of lo-fi aesthetics, body horror, and "glitch" motifs, this analysis argues that "Taint.mov" serves as a contemporary meditation on the fragility of the digital self and the intersection of the organic with the synthetic.

The use of white noise and distorted industrial hums mirrors the visual degradation. Taint.mov

Drawing from Julia Kristeva’s theory of the abject , "Taint.mov" explores that which "disturbs identity, system, and order." The "tainted" subject in the film represents a breakdown of the boundary between the internal and the external. The film suggests that in the digital realm, our "data bodies" are just as susceptible to rot and infection as our physical ones. This paper explores the visual and thematic elements

Abstract