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On the positive side, social media provides a platform for individuals to share thoughts, ideas, and emotions with a global audience instantly. At the same time, a significant downside of this virtual existence is the constant need for validation and the pressure to curate an idealized version of one’s life. This can lead to anxiety, insecurity, and a distorted sense of self-worth. So, when a film addresses these themes, won’t it risk appearing preachy since we are already aware of these issues? This is where Vikramaditya Motwane’s recent outing stands out. The film is fully aware of its ambitions but isn’t overly self-assured, nor does it undermine the viewer’s intellect. It doesn’t suffer from an inferiority complex, nor does it try to pretend it’s smarter than the audience. What we get is an engrossing screen life thriller that plays out on screens—a computer,...

The internet has become a dark place that has made each one of us live a very lonesome double life. I mean, living a life based on the validation of others—basking in glory or facing relentless trolling over even the slightest mistake on the internet—has become the new social norm, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with. Netflix’s new original Ctrl (2024) explores how the internet is slowly killing us and how tech moguls are smoothly monetizing our insecurities, trying to take absolute control of our lives based on our digital footprints.

Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, who co-wrote the script with Avinash Sampath and Sumukhi Suresh, Ctrl (2024) is a dark film that explores how the lives of an influencer couple—Nella and Joe—is thrown into chaos when Joe cheats on Nella, prompting her to use an AI app to erase him from her life.