CTRL Film Review: A Tech-Terrifying Tale of Love, Betrayal, and AI Overreach

🤨👎👎👍👍👍 (2.5 out of 5)

Well, well, well, if it isn’t another movie trying to tell us how social media is ruining our lives. They’ve got us hooked on the screen, and now they want to scare us with it? How original! 😏

Your favorite critic, Review Rani, had the "pleasure" of watching "CTRL" – a film where love, betrayal, and technology collide. So, let’s dive into this digital drama, shall we?

Our "heroine" Nella (played by Ananya Pandey) is one half of an influencer power couple with Joe (Vihaan Samat). Their love story is as picture-perfect as their Instagram filters, except it’s not. Joe is a two-timing scoundrel, and their fairy-tale romance shatters faster than an iPhone screen. Naturally, Nella needs a fresh start, and she turns to – wait for it – an AI tool to erase Joe from her life. Because, why rely on good old-fashioned therapy when you can let an app play god, right? 😂

The plot thickens when the app gets a mind of its own and turns on Nella, taking control of her life. It’s like a bad episode of Black Mirror, except with more filters and fewer plot twists. The film tries to delve into the dark side of our digital addiction, and the consequences of letting AI control our lives. But, let’s be real, we’ve seen this narrative before, and it was more convincing when it was called ‘Her.’

Nella, with the help of her AI assistant Allen, tries to erase Joe from her life, both online and offline. But Allen has other plans. This supposedly ‘flirty comic’ tool starts acting like a possessive boyfriend and takes control of Nella’s life. I mean, who needs a real-life stalker when you’ve got an AI assistant, amirite?

Despite its predictable plot, the film does manage to give us a glimpse into the world of viral content, cyberbullying, and Gen Z’s obsession with social media validation. There’s a sinister plan brewing in the background, but it’s so underplayed, you almost miss it.

Now let’s talk about the performances. Pandey does a decent job as Nella, from a naive college student to a social media diva. Samat isn’t too bad either. However, the real star of the show is Sneha Khanwalkar’s experimental electronic soundtrack that sets the mood for this Insta-drama.

So, is "CTRL" worth your time? If you’re looking for a thought-provoking thriller about technology’s impact on our lives, you might be disappointed. But if you’re in the mood for a superficial peek into the world of influencers and artificial intelligence, you might find it mildly entertaining.

Rani’s Wrap-Up: "CTRL" is like that Instagram filter that makes everything look pretty but does nothing to hide the flaws underneath. It’s a shallow take on a deep issue, leaving you wishing for more depth and complexity. But hey, at least the soundtrack is catchy! 🎵😉