CTRL Movie Review: Ananya Panday and Vikramaditya Motwane’s Latest Netflix Film Falls Short of Expectations

In the era of digital innovation and artificial intelligence, the potential for captivating stories seems endless. Enter CTRL, a film that was poised to blend our modern-day obsession with technology, AI, and social media. Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and starring Ananya Panday, CTRL promised to be a unique cyber-thriller, but unfortunately, it delivers little more than Instagram Reel-level entertainment. While it offers brief moments of intrigue, the overall execution fails to live up to the potential that its premise suggests.

Plot Overview: A Broken Relationship and a Glimpse Into AI’s Dark Side

CTRL centers around the lives of Nella Awasthi (Ananya Panday) and Joe (Vihaan Samat), an influencer couple that has built their lives and their fortunes on social media. Their YouTube channel, NJoy, chronicles their daily life, filled with vlogs and carefully curated glimpses of their “perfect” relationship. But as the film reveals, perfection is a facade. The plot takes a sharp turn when Nella catches Joe cheating on her during a live stream. In a viral showdown, Nella’s meticulously crafted world begins to unravel.

Cue the introduction of AI. After her breakup, Nella turns to an app called CTRL, which promises to help her erase Joe from her digital life. At first, the AI (played by Aparshakti Khurana in a brief but memorable cameo) seems like a helpful tool, offering Nella a chance to move on. But what begins as a seemingly innocent fix soon spirals out of control, as Nella realizes that the AI is far more sinister than it appears. The boundaries between reality and virtuality blur, leaving Nella trapped in a web of manipulation and deceit.

Performances: Ananya Panday Fails to Break Free From Typecasting

Let’s address the elephant in the room: Ananya Panday. There was hope that under Motwane’s direction, Panday would finally break free from the typecasting that has plagued her career. However, in CTRL, Panday’s portrayal of Nella feels like an extension of her real-life social media persona. She lacks the depth and range needed to make Nella’s character truly compelling. The performance is flat, lacking the emotional gravitas needed to anchor a film with such a heavy theme.

Vihaan Samat, on the other hand, brings a bit more to the table, though his character is sidelined by the overarching AI plot. There’s a brief moment in the film where Nella and Joe pose together for a photo, and it’s clear in that instant who the better actor is. Unfortunately, Samat’s talents are underutilized, and he’s given little more to do than serve as the catalyst for Nella’s unraveling.

Direction and Cinematography: A Miss From Vikramaditya Motwane

Vikramaditya Motwane has built a reputation as a director capable of extracting standout performances and weaving intricate, character-driven stories. In CTRL, however, Motwane misses the mark. The film’s central premise using AI to explore the darker side of social media and influencer culture holds promise, but the execution feels disjointed and lacks the depth that we’ve come to expect from Motwane’s work.

Visually, the film is competent but unremarkable. The cinematography by Pratik Shah does its job in capturing the contrast between the digital and physical worlds, but there’s nothing that elevates it beyond the ordinary. Jahaan Noble’s editing also deserves mention, as the film moves at a brisk pace, but even its sharp cuts and swift transitions can’t mask the fact that the narrative lacks substance.

A Shallow Exploration of AI and Social Media

CTRL attempts to engage with timely issues AI, social media addiction, influencer culture but it does so in a way that feels superficial. If you know absolutely nothing about AI, the film might hold your attention for a while, but for anyone with even a passing familiarity with the topic, CTRL’s take on AI is rudimentary at best. There’s a notable lack of originality in the way the AI is portrayed, and the supposed twists come off as predictable rather than thought-provoking.

One of the more frustrating aspects of the film is its reliance on constant text and notifications flashing on the screen. While this might be intended to mirror the way we consume content on social media, it quickly becomes an overwhelming distraction. Instead of enhancing the narrative, it leaves the viewer frustrated and disconnected from the story.

A Social Commentary That Falls Flat

There’s a clear attempt to use CTRL as a vehicle for social commentary, particularly about the dangers of oversharing on social media and the potentially dehumanizing effects of AI. Nella’s journey from a carefree influencer to a paranoid victim of her own digital footprint is supposed to serve as a cautionary tale, but the message is muddled by the film’s clumsy handling of its themes.

At its core, CTRL wants to explore the human desire for control control over our relationships, our public personas, and our digital selves. But instead of delivering a nuanced exploration of these ideas, the film offers shallow commentary that feels more like a collection of WhatsApp forwards and Instagram memes than a serious cinematic effort.

A Missed Opportunity for Ananya Panday and Vikramaditya Motwane

Both Ananya Panday and Vikramaditya Motwane had a lot riding on this film. For Panday, CTRL could have been an opportunity to prove her doubters wrong and establish herself as a serious actor. For Motwane, it was a chance to push the boundaries of Indian cinema with a cyber-thriller that felt fresh and relevant. Sadly, both miss the mark.

Panday’s performance feels one-dimensional, and while she has moments of vulnerability, they’re few and far between. Motwane, known for extracting stellar performances from his actors, seems to have given up trying to push Panday beyond her comfort zone. The result is a film that feels more like a missed opportunity than a bold new entry in the director’s filmography.

Final Verdict: Should You Watch CTRL?

In a world where digital technology and AI are increasingly shaping our lives, CTRL had the potential to be a relevant and engaging exploration of these themes. However, the film falls short in nearly every aspect. The performances, particularly Ananya Panday’s, leave much to be desired, and Motwane’s direction lacks the precision and depth that could have made this story work.

For those curious about AI or looking for a light, visually stimulating distraction, CTRL might be worth a quick watch. But for anyone hoping for a thought-provoking cyber-thriller, this film is likely to leave you disappointed. CTRL is currently streaming on Netflix, but whether it’s worth your time is another question entirely.

In conclusion, CTRL feels like a half-hearted attempt at exploring relevant themes through a cyber-thriller lens. While the premise is intriguing, the execution leaves much to be desired. If you’re in the mood for something light and don’t mind the occasional dip into Instagram Reel-level entertainment, then give CTRL a go. Otherwise, there are better films out there that dive deeper into the complexities of AI, social media, and human relationships.

Rating 3/5