CTRL, which was released today on Netflix, is a screenlife film. Timur Bekmambetov, who pioneered films like Unfriended and Searching, is also the executive producer of CTRL. It is the story of a content creator and how her life goes for a toss after she lets an AI app take control of her life. Making a ‘screen film’ is always a challenge – the graphics need to look appealing. At the same time, it should be convincing that a character is using a device for a reason and not for the heck of it to fulfil the idea of a ‘screen film’. On both fronts, director Vikramaditya Motwane and writer Avinash Sampath succeed. Motwane packs in a lot in just 99 minutes and also tells an important story. The first half is fun but the film takes a turn later on. The finale is unexpected but also raises certain questions and is not as impactful. Ananya Panday gets her act right and looks every inch like an influencer whose life is consumed by social media. Vihaan Samat, in limited time, leaves a tremendous mark. Devika Vatsa (Bina), Kamakshi Bhat (Shonali), Ravish Desai (Aryan K) and Suchiita Niigam Patel (Nella’s mother) are decent. Finally, Aparshakti Khurana is too good as the voice of Allen while Yashraj Mukhate and his song ‘Mera Boyfriend’ are funny. All in all, CTRL is an experiment that succeeds and is worth watching.
My rating – *** ½ out of 5!