Rating: 3/5
CTRL on Netflix didn’t really appeal to me at first, because the trailer looked rushed and you assumed that this is just another AI-based movie for the heck of it. However, I watched the Ananya Panday and Vihaan Samat starrer last night, and here’s my honest review.
Is ‘CTRL’ a first of its kind for us?
Credits: Saffron Magicworks
When you have director Vikramaditya Motwane helming a film or a show, you instantly know that there’s going to be some edge to it. And truth be told, your expectations are met decently, if not completely, because together, everyone’s done a good job after all.
After Black Mirror, we’ve all often wondered just what the effects of the internet and AI and all those things will be and this movie gives us a quick glimpse of how things might go down badly and, obviously, there’s more to it.
A lot of the movie goes into building what we see in the climax, and while you did get an idea from it in the very first few glimpses of the trailer, the film justifies it nicely.
Ananya Panday does it again
Ananya Panday has truly managed to come into her own with her recent work, and I love that for her. From Kho Gaye Hum Kahan to now CTRL, she’s given us quite the range and one would’ve thought that this might not count for her nice performances, but she does well. In fact, she’s so relatable in bits, and given the influencer world we are in, it only makes things more interesting.
While Ananya as Nella is quite intriguing and you love her once again, Vihaan Samat as Joe doesn’t make it to my favourites. Though there’s not much of him to see or much of him to like, (on-screen too), his character is sure one whose trajectory interests you and how, but it all leads to a bigger issue that you are kinda surprised with.
The story primarily revolves around these two, so that’s all there is to look forward to when it comes to performances, along with a few supporting characters here and there.
Fantastic treatment of the theme and scenes
I think what further makes CTRL a great watch is also the way that Motwane and team shot it, making the overall experience of watching this film more life-like and immersive. You’d find yourself being reminded of films like Searching, but then there’s so much more.
Apart from the shooting, I truly feel that the writing team has done a fantastic job of showing Gen Z problems the gen Z way, including how Nella and Joe break up or how there’s this constant need for social media approval, among other things.
While the movie sure has its own flaws, I don’t think that any treatment would’ve gotten us a flawless watch, because this theme is very new for us, and so, it’s probably always going to feel like something is missing.
Our verdict on ‘CTRL’
What works best for CTRL is the fact that it is short and doesn’t get preachy, and the fact that the movie is a little over 90 minutes, makes it interesting right up until the end. With another solid performance from Ananya Panday and a story that’s got everyone’s talking, this Netflix movie could be the perfect weekend watch, and maybe, also make you a little conscious about your online behaviour, which I believe, isn’t bad at all!
Lead and social image credits: Saffron Magicworks
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