CTRL review: Body of a thriller, soul of a mystery with a cautionary message on the digital invasion

CTRL review: Body of a thriller, soul of a mystery with a cautionary message on the digital invasion

What: ‘CTRL’ - fascinating fabulous and deliciously unsettling

Nella Awasthi and Joe Mascerenas, played by Ananya Panday and Vihaan Samat, seem to be the perfect influencer couple with a flourishing channel on social media until something devastating happens.

One fine day , Nella discovers Vihaan is cheating on her and calls it a quit. Not only that she installs an AI Agent which can erase all the digital footprints involving him.

Little does she know that this cleansing in her life is short-lived with the DYDP ( Delete Your Digital Past) endeavour after she learns that Joe has suddenly gone missing.

Helmed by Vikramaditya Motwane, ‘CTRL’ embraces the body of a thriller that has the soul of a mystery which carries a cautionary message against the digital invasion.

Reminiscent of the 2018 cyberpunk thriller ‘Searching’ and it's spiritual follow up ‘Missing’ (2023), the execution relies primarily on the digital paraphernalia - Phones, tablets and laptops. Inventively shot and keeping you at the edge of your seat, the film gets enormously benefitted with the watertight script by Motwane and his co-writers Avinash Sampath and stand-up influencer Sumukhi Suresh who adds a tech-driven narrative.

Emerging for wise choices of films of late, Ananya Panday takes a giant stride as an actress, maneuvered by the prolific Motwane. Panday sinks herself into the world of Nella, instinctively adapting to the vulnerability and chaos brought up the digital invasion. Vihan who appeared alongside Ananya in Call Me Bae does a sincere job as her boyfriend and partner.

Minute detailing and nuances are Motwane's forte and they take a front seat while depicting the turmoil posed by the eminent Data leaks and privacy thefts.

 

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