Control Freak is directed by Shal Ngo director of The Park (2023).

Control Freak sure is a Hulu original horror movie that exists, quite honestly there is really not a whole lot to be said here and that’s very unfortunate. I like the whole idea of the movie, the short film Control which is what the film was based on was simple yet effective. But Control Freak is just a prime example of when people say “not every short film needs to be turned into feature length film.” 

Kelly Marie Tran is by far the best part of this movie, her performance here is actually quite impressive and really makes me want to see her lead in more horror films. She delivers a powerhouse performance that both feels in line with the atmosphere as well as  bringing in some raw moments where her character Val is clearly in pain due to the scratching on her head. It’s some decently smart mix of body horror and as well as bringing the viewers anxiety into the mix. Without Kelly Marie Tran this movie would not have had some of the best moments of the movie and would have been forgotten almost immediately. 

The use of sound is quite great, the scratching is grating and unbearable in the best way possible to really get under your skin. The movie uses this to explore the theme of losing control, something in your mind just keeps hitting you and you want to silence it, even if it’s not perfectly done there’s still a good amount for the viewer to chew on. Unfortunately a lot of this movie is left unexplored, ambiguity is fine of course but the movie goes a bit too far with it and really fails to bring the viewer into the more what are supposed to be emotional moments. 

What really kills this movie is the pacing and it meanders for way too long, the body horror stuff is great but a lot of the bunk that’s stuck in the middle of it really takes away the viewer’s attention. It starts to become a slow burn horror film that really does not need to be one, the emotional moments don’t have the power they need to really amount to anything. Miles Robbins turns in a decent performance as Robbie but he’s an incredibly one note character that just tells Val “you are crazy” 

Overall Control Freak had promise but with every genuinely great scene there was another that dragged on for far too long. With so many missed opportunities, this is one of those movies that really leaves the viewer thinking “what could have been”

Control Freak is available on Hulu 

5/10 C