CTRL

One would find CTRL concept similar to few western movies but this Ananya Pandey starrer film is completely new to Bollywood. Screenplay quite similar to Missing or Searching, this Vikaramditya Motwane's creation focuses on current generation's dependability on social media.

Ananya's character named Nella who just broke up with her boyfriend trusts an AI to assist her to cope up with her relationship mishaps by providing it the access to her social life. Things go south when this AI takes full control of her life. A dark and gripping version of Black mirror, CTRL will make you think about AI influence on today's youth.

Ananya's performance is surprisingly good and she drives this thriller on her own. However, the narrative focuses solely on lead (Ananya), leaving the omnipotent AI God and conspiracy underexplored. Despite good performance and engaging plot, it leaves viewers craving complexity and depth.

An eye opener thriller about digital world! Story revolves around a girl named Nella who comes in grab of an AI powered digital assistant which takes full control of her personal life. It is centred around the repercussions of internet, AI, AI powered deep fake voice, deep fake images etc. It is definitely a unique movie that alerts if we are prepared for the AI tech n the speed with which it is evolving in our lives. It's less of an entertainer but more of an educative movie. However, it's superficial n transactional movie while it could have been more intense n exemplary though it's no doubt new kind of a movie. Ananya Pandey has definitely done a decent job. Available in Netflix. My ratings 6/10!

The movie doesn't start with a bang. Ten minutes into the film, I was cursing myself for watching it. Then I came here to check the reviews and saw only two reviews, each with a rating of 1. I knew these ratings were unfair, so I decided to give the movie a shot. Honestly, the movie is decent-I'd rate it a 5 or 6. It's a one-time watch; the concept is new, and while I agree it is inspired by "Her," "Black Mirror," and others, at least someone is trying.

The acting by both leads is good, but the supporting actors are lackluster and overacted. The cameos were cool. Out of the three new actresses, I find Ananya to be the better actor, so pardon me if you feel the movie deserves a 5 instead of a 6.

From the start to the end it have a very gripping story. It kept me hooked to the very end the suspense and drama. This movie have a eerie and dark plot. It shows how tech companies not just have access to you data but life and if they want to they will not only sell your data but can write down your kundali from start to end.

This also goes to show that we as a society should keep these things in check and Govt need to establish some good law and regulations around Cyber Security.

Ananya Pandey & Vihaan Samat performance is remarkably good, especially Ananya. Supporting actors felt dull and that maybe cause they have less scene time.

I have watched some other tech/internet centric movies from Bollywood which are just bizarre, stupid and revolve around love life and melodrama.

I will say that it should be an 1:15min long film cause their are some still frames and it was clear they stretched the run time.

Udaan, Lootera, Trapped, Bhavesh Joshi Superhero, Sacred Games, AK vs AK and Jubilee is a pretty eclectic and diverse filmography directed by a single film maker. If this filmography looks compelling and engaging then his latest venture CTRL will keep you hooked. For me Vikramaditya Motwane is perhaps one of the finest directors of the current era and with CTRL he certainly doesn't disappoint. CTRL is a Motwane show and a great example of edgy content in the hands of a daring and inventive director.

Many would get turned off by just looking at the sight of Ananya Pandey on the poster of the movie and thats why Motwane deserves extra credit for directing Ananya exceptionally well to deliver a very grounded and believable performance.....even though she is loosely playing herself sans the cringe and annoyance. If you found Ananya's performance in last year's Kho Gaye Hum Kahan good and credible, then she will not disappoint with CTRL. She pleasantly surprised me with her performances in both these movies.

The plot of this cyber thriller is pretty black mirror-esque and realistic as it ventures into the land of AI and serves as a timely commentary on our reliance on social media to stay connected with our fellow humans and how AI is taking over our existence making things less and less human and more and more artificial. It showcases how AI benefits the individual but also shows how it can potentially render an individual helpless. The plot is pretty straightforward - Nella and Joe are a famous influencer couple whose love lives diverge leading to Nella deciding to use AI to erase Joe's existence from her digital world.....but somehow ends up erasing his existence from the real world.

The movie is pretty gripping and very well shot using digital technology. There are a few other movies in recent times across the globe that have effectively used social media and webcam footage to tell a cyber suspense story. There are also other movies that have been warning us about the possibility of rogue and malicious AI over the years. CTRL brings both these elements together pretty well to keep tech savvy audiences glued to their screen. It may be confusing watch for those who are not familiar with the current tech world and difficult to palate for those who cant stand the leading lady but the movie hits the mark for those looking for an intelligent thriller.

The story is interesting, frighteningly real and pretty unsettling. The direction is crisp and well executed even though the movie is somewhat slow paced. The acting is real and pretty good. Motwane chooses a dystopian, melancholic and sardonic ending which feels very real and bitter sweet instead of a mainstream flashy ending which may turn off many viewers expecting fireworks. I enjoyed the movie and nervously smiled when the Netflix app coincidentally crashed during the scene when AI's ulterior motives were being exposed.....making the movie feel a bit more real and relevant. An enjoyable thriller for the tech literate fans of slow burn thrillers. 7.5/10.