Control Freak review
Hulu’s Control Freak never quite finds its way.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
Control Freak
Directed by Shal Ngo
Written by Shal Ngo
Starring Kelly Marie Tran
Control Freak Review
Yesterday we talked about how worrisome it was seeing Max drop The Parenting on its streaming service in mid-March. The movie turned out to be a dud…confirming said fears. The same logic applies to the release of Control Freak by the annual Spooky Season champion Hulu. Hulu loves Halloween. So much that they’ve co-opted the name with their own Huluween branding. It’s an earned title. No streamer embraces the spirit of the season more than Hulu. They deliver fun originals and add classic greats every fall. Why then is Control Freak being dropped in March? The poster seems ripe for the Huluween treatment. Are they expanding their original horror offerings into the spring or, like The Parenting, was it simply a property they wanted to get out of the way?
I’ll cut to the chase. It’s the latter. While not as disappointing as The Parenting, Control Freak faces a different set of issues. It’s a slow burn horror without enough ideas to fill the space it leaves itself.
Val (Kelly Marie Tran) is a motivational speaker who appears to be consumed by stress. Her husband is pushing her for a baby. She’s dealing with deeply buried familial secrets. And she’s trying to prepare for an upcoming tour. She begins scratching the back of her head. Until it bleeds…until there’s a hole. It’s not simply stress, however. Val learns that she’s been cursed with a demon named Sanshi.
The main thing that Control Freak has going for it is Kelly Marie Tran’s performance as Val. The story may not always understand the best way to tell its tale…but Tran fully understands the character of Val. Even though Control Freak has little to say and says it too slowly…nothing Tran does feels empty. Val is going through a slow, personal Hell. Tran makes it feel real.
Unfortunately, the movie itself falls short in the entertainment department. It repeats beats over and over until finally pulling out a new move in the climax. Val scratches…her husband is worried…she learns more about Sanshi…her condition worsens…she has a meltdown…no one believes her. That series of events, in some order, comprises most of Control Freak. If it weren’t for Tran’s grounded, overwhelmed performance…the entire production would sink into the abyss.
There’s a light investigation into Sanshi in there…but it’s surprisingly underbaked given how little else is going on at any particular time. We learn more about Val’s past…and the family secret that she’s buried deep inside. A secret that drove her father to a monastery. It’s an interesting enough idea. I couldn’t shake the feeling that the entire demon plotline was put in because the story couldn’t sustain itself on stress horror alone. It also gives Val something tangible to try and overcome.
It’s all a metaphor, of course. Generational trauma and what have you. It’s a staple of the genre. Control Freak doesn’t tie it all together all that well…but it does lead to its most exciting scenes in its final act.
Control Freak isn’t scary as much as it is unsettling. Val’s head scratching is an effective piece of business. There’s nightmares and bugs and, eventually, a monster. A bit of blood and a little gore seep in when need be. Mostly though…Control Freak just treads water. Kelly Marie Tran keeps it afloat while an uninspiring story threatens to slowly sink it. Control Freak could have desperately used a second idea…or a second character to care about…or a second edit to tighten up the story. Instead…Hulu’s latest release finds a fitting home far away from its tasty Spooky Season Huluween offerings.
Scare Value
Kelly Marie Tran is great in Control Freak. She understands her character even when the film seems unsure of what to do with her story. The movie rolls along as a passably interesting watch elevated by its lead until business finally picks up late in the going. There are some good ideas in Control Freak. Just as there were in Ngo’s previous film The Park. As with The Park, however, Control Freak struggles to make them feel as urgent and exciting as they could have been.
2/5
Control Freak Link
Streaming on Hulu
