CTRL review: There are some films that sound great on paper, but miss the mark when presented in the film format. The vice versa has happened as well, courtesy some brilliant actors who lifted the material on paper. You hear about it in interviews, when actors and directors reveal many years later, how they improvised a particularly iconic scene or song, on set. CTRL hangs somewhere in between. 

What is CTRL all about

CTRL (the keyboard shortcut for control) revolves around a couple Nella (Ananya Panday) and Joe (Vihaan Samat), who meet as teenagers and hit it off. The cute relationship wins over the internet, and both turn influencers, vlogging important moments from their daily lives. It soon becomes almost a transactional relationship, where earning money gains a lot of importance. Until one day Nella accidentally livestreams Joe cheating on her, and breaks up with him. She is advised by a follower to use the CTRL app and erase Joe forever from her life. CTRL is an AI assistant, who promises to remove all digital footprint of Joe. As the process might take a longer time, the app innocuously asks for permission to gain administrative control over her computer. Things (of course) go south immediately. Watch the film to find out how.

Two words sum up what to expect from CTRL: Black Mirror. This film feels like a desi adaptation of the international sci-fi series, which is all about a dystopian future where technology will most probably control our lives. So basically, if you have watched the show, CTRL isn't going to throw any surprises your way.

Motwane, who also shares writing credits with Avinash Sampath and Sumukhi Suresh, has crafted a taut thriller, running for an hour and 39 minutes thankfully. The plot thus hasn't been stretched beyond what's required. What's missing here is the tension. The sense of urgency only finds it's way into the plot near the climax, which is executed well.

On the performance front, Ananya has clearly found her niche: relatibility. Call Me Bae, Kho Gaye Hum Kahaan, Gehraiyaan, and now CTRL- all are Gen Z stories, with her characters being age-appropriate. She hits the right notes here.

Vihaan Samat too, as Joe plays his part well. Other actors have small roles, as the heavy lifting is done by this pair (who also played husband and wife in Call Me Bae just recently). I liked the nuances in the beginning of CTRL, as we are taken through their relationship in a matter of few minutes- from a meet cute start, to how every moment of their lives has multiple 'retakes'- to get that perfect picture or video. CTRL isn't just a reminder of the dangers of artificial intelligence- but a dig at artificial relationships too.

Final thoughts

CTRL overall passes off as a good, crisp, harmless watch, which wants to make you think. The thing is- content from across the world, courtesy the OTT boom in India in the last four years, has already dealt with similar themes. There's nothing here we haven't watched already.

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