Russian filmmakers Liliya Tkach and Nikita Ordynskiy, who brought us the Papers, Please short film last year, recently released their newest project. This time, the duo created a movie adaptation for Beholder, a PC game that tasks you with surveilling apartment tenants.
Similar to Papers, Please, Beholder takes place in a dystopian future with strong Orwellian vibes. This makes it a perfect fit for Tkach and Ordynskiy, who clearly have a cinematic fondness for these totalitarian themes.
Beholder’s official film is in black-and-white. Carl, who is both the protagonist in the film and in the game, is a building inspector for an apartment complex. He spends his shift watching several screens that let him peek into the lives of the tenants. If he sees anything suspicious, he reports the behavior to officials. The movie is pretty well done, with oppressive visuals that tie well to the thematic story.
Watch the full official short film below.
Beholder, the PC game, released in late 2016 and was developed by Warm Lamp Games. It’s sequel, Beholder 2, launched last December.
For more, check out the official Papers, Please short film which can be watched in full here.