CTRL: As the fractures start appearing in the relationship between social media influencers Nella Awasthi (Ananya Panday) and Joe Mascarehnas (Vihaan Samat), Nella makes a sudden jump to delete Joe from her life entirely with the help of an AI app.
Whenever this marvelous life Nella has been given gets knocked, she turns to this kind of an app that provides this seemingly light-hearted AI assistant who can manage memories that need to slowly and sensibly be eradicated. This, however has some very real-life repercussions as Nella’s bubble bursts. In Figuring it all out, it comes to her realization that her dreams have been pilfered in addition to her data. The question still lingers: “Is there a way to log out of this parasitical network?”
Beware the Midas Touch: Losing Control in CTRL
Vikramaditya Motwane masterfully constructs drama around the perils of the Midas touch. That’s the refrain in most of his cinema-beware before you wish. This sense of suffocation, which we felt in his 2016 film Trapped, is palpable in CTRL. As technology starts taking control of Nella’s life, one almost feels the choke going down the throat. When social media influencers are already being hired to promote films and when an actor’s number of Instagram followers have started to play into casting calls, CTRL spurs an unsettling sense about the idea of losing control over your life and relationships.
Expectations High, Thrills Low
Vikramaditya Motwane undercuts expectations but doesn’t quite show us the black mirror. The mood and the messaging are strong, but the tension can’t be built up to keep the suspense high and yields to CTRL coming out like some low-stakes thriller made to populate the streaming platform’s library.
A New Shade of Black Mirror
What’s Good: The interesting premise. What’s Bad: Extremely watered-down version of what would have been a pretty brilliant Black Mirror episode. Loo Break: Avoid! Watch or Not?: Definitely yes. Language: Hindi Available On: Netflix Runtime: 98 minutes
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A Desi Thriller in the Age of AI
Well, it has really been a debating year on AI. Debates on good, bad, and the ugly have all got explored in much length and breadth. What the Internet and social media repercussions can do have been superbly depicted in different types of international cinema, especially in the terrifyingly real episodes of Black Mirror. Tapping this Desi and much more mellowed out version of Black Mirror for the Indian audience, Vikramaditya Motwane weaves an engaging thriller like this.
Emotional Intelligence in a Digital Era
CTRL is a great insider view into the Gen Z and Alpha worlds envisioned by Avinash Sampath and Vikramaditya Motwane. They are fast-paced, finicky, and smart. And they wouldn’t want to be bothered with an older, wiser person guiding them through; they would rather believe the bots or the internet. Not even taking enough time to be angry over lost love. They have kept a balance between emotionalism and practicality-they know how to live with this choice.
CTRL: A Dive into Digital Deception
AI technology, in the last few months, has shown the good and bad manifestations. It could take over people’s jobs and send deepfake videos to show the worst face of AI. CTRL-Vikramaditya Motwane mirrors this reality, showing just how far a person can go to diverge from reality if dipped deep in the virtual world. But does CTRL hit hard enough? Let’s find out.
CTRL: Where Humanity Meets Machine
Vikramaditya Motwane proves yet again he can thread suffocating drama by the fact CTRL lingers thick with the tension created around the dangers of the takeover of technology. The pace and feel of the film combine to bring an eerie atmosphere which leaves you hooked to your screen. With the perfect idea of playing along with expectations, CTRL defies not being a Black Mirror rip-off but a standalone effort in the genre.
The Cast: Brilliant Performances
The actor is in fine form as the social media influencer Nella, who vows to wipe her ex-boyfriend Joe off her life. She captures well the emotive turmoil and confusion felt by a person stuck between the digital and real worlds. Moneeyman, Devika Vatsa, and Suchita Trivedi are on form all through as they give tremendous depth to the narration.
A Timely Reflection on Tech and Trust
CTRL strikes precariously close to the current conundrum in the way it tells the story of dependence on technology and social media. The film is, therefore, timed just right in relation to AI pressures on individual relationships and privacy. Because of this, it’s also a cautionary tale about possibly letting technology take over our lives.
Exploring Technology's Impact on Life
It is sharply photographic-cinematography combined with visual effects of the movie. The film extensively uses CGI to enhance narration. The segments speaking about the future are not beyond the realms, and the aesthetic part of the film venerates this. That sort of problem of technology invading our lives is what aesthetics of the film point out.
Entertainment with a Conscience: The Perfect Balance
So, in essence, the entire message of CTRL is to be able to express a few very strong messages about the risk associated with technology at the same time, make sure someone is entertained while doing it. The movie is fairly well-rounded in its storytelling-the plot has scenes of tension, drama and introspection as it maintains audience engagement from beginning to end.
A Must-Watch Thriller
CTRL is indeed a film no one would care to miss. The dark side of technology and social media is so delicately etched that it brings forth some pretty provocative storytelling. Great performances and narration ensure that it’s a directorial outing by Vikramaditya Motwane which cannot be given a miss. In a way, it’s a reminder that strikes at the right moment-that our digital life doesn’t have to encroach or oppose our real lives.
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Nice post
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