Kelly Marie Tran Is Phenomenal In Overlong But Effective Horror Film

I love all kinds of horror movies. I know that people scoff at shock horror or ones that are high on gore, but if done well, they can be fun too. That said, recently, I’ve been gravitating towards tales about the external manifestation of somebody’s innermost apprehensions or desires rather than stories about something external that’s supposed to induce fear internally. As in, I will appreciate a well-made creature feature where said creature goes on an absolute rampage. But there’ll always be a sense of detachment to it because, at the back of my mind, I always know no such thing can exist in real life. Now, if you have a haunting entity that can be perceived only by the protagonist, since it’s a representation of that individual’s unresolved trauma or guilt, then you have me scared even after the credits have rolled on the film. That’s because it leaves me with the feeling that, well, this could actually happen to me. Given how Control Freak is the latter, believe me when I say that it legitimately gave me nightmares.

Shal Ngo’s Control Freak tells the story of a motivational speaker, Val, who is supposed to go on a worldwide tour but is facing a hiccup because the authorities in China want to see her birth certificate before letting her in. Val visits Aunt Thuy to see if she has some of her old stuff, and she reveals that it’s in her dad’s possession. Val’s mother died a long time ago during a boating incident, and since Val believes that her father, Sang, killed her mom, they have an estranged relationship. Their strained bond is only exacerbated by the fact that Sang has become a monk, something that Val sees as her father’s way of avoiding responsibility for his actions. Anyway, after a disturbing meeting with her dad, where he insinuates that their family is haunted by a mythical entity, Val does obtain the necessary documents. However, it only ends up opening a can of worms that Val had been dealing with just by scratching a phantom itch on her head. As her mental state worsens, Val’s professional image and her relationship with her partner, Robbie, reach their tipping point.

On the surface, Control Freak critiques the profession of motivational speakers. It asks viewers, especially those who idolize people who “teach how to live,” just who it is they are depending on for directions regarding something as unpredictable as life. I mean, these modern-day sages (much like ancient sages) are as flesh-and-blood as we are. They probably face the same complications that we do. And there’s a good chance that they’ve attained a level of expertise when it comes to hiding their shortcomings so as to pretend in front of the world that they’ve conquered all their fears and flaws. So, why should we let them monetize their lies? If you go a level deeper, it’s about family and the kind of baggage that a parent can put on a child, thereby preventing them from ever starting a family of their own even if they really want to. After that, if you go a step further into the narrative, it’s about the horrors of the Vietnam War and how its repercussions can be felt to this day, even if one is as far detached from that page of history as possible.

That description of Control Freak can make it sound like one of those psychological horror thrillers where everything is so subtle that you will miss the scary parts if you blink at the wrong time. Yeah, no, this is not that kind of movie. Shal Ngo and his team have created a sleep paralysis demon that looks like a mashup of Cthulhu, the Demogorgon, and the Xenomorph, which is bound to keep you up at night. There are enough nerve-wracking and grotesque body horror moments to make you puke. I think of myself as someone who is immune to the gnarly aspects of “movie magic.” But watching Val scratch an itch all the way to the inside of her skull almost made me hurl. The music by Landon Knoblock and Jay Wadley, the cinematography by Scott Siracusano, the editing by Dagmawi Abebe, the VFX, the SFX, and the sound design are excellent. Ngo’s handling of the tone, as he switches from bleakness and morbid hilarity, is great. The main issue with the movie is the pacing. When it approached the 1-hour mark, I thought it had reached its climax, but there was a whole lot of movie left in the movie. I feel that Val’s downfall, recovery, descent into madness, and triumph could’ve been handled in a more concise manner. However, that’s up to personal preference.

Coming to the acting, Control Freak is an out-and-out Kelly Marie Tran extravaganza, and I am here for it. Unless you aren’t a Star Wars fan, you know what happened during and after the sequel trilogy. Even though Tran wasn’t a part of the main cast, she was subjected to insane levels of racism and harassment online. Raya and the Last Dragon, in which she was the titular character, got affected by the whole simultaneous pandemic release schedule. While most of her co-stars bounced back, she didn’t exactly find any opportunities that truly showcased her talent. So, as a fan of her work as Rose Tico and Raya, it’s relieving and exciting to see her in form and giving every scream queen out there a run for their money. She makes the portrayal of Val seem as emotionally exhausting as it must be to live as and with the character. There’s something deeply relatable about her take on Val’s paranoia, anxiety, duplicity, fear, and self-reflection. She becomes a mirror for the audience and makes us introspect about our tics, which is truly impressive. And when it comes to the blood, guts, insects, and battling demons, both internal and external, the manner in which Tran weaponizes her body language is truly marvelous to behold. Miles Robbins, Callie Johnson, Kieu Chinh, Toan Le, and the rest of the supporting cast are great. But, as mentioned before, this movie is all about Kelly Marie Tran, and if you weren’t a fan of her before, you’ll become one after this.

Control Freak is certainly not without its flaws, but the fact that I’m going to think about it every single time I scratch my head makes it one hell of an effective horror movie. It’s certainly not for the faint of heart, and I feel that you have to be a little patient with it. If you check both of those boxes, the film will get under your skin. As mentioned before, Kelly Marie Tran is fantastic, and, much like every other actress in a horror film, I’m certain that she is not going to get the attention and love that she deserves. So, if you can, do what award shows should’ve done for the horror genre for the last few decades: appreciate the cast. It’s a really big deal that The Substance got so many eyeballs on it, but I think that movies like Control Freak, Huesera: The Bone Woman, Prevenge, Saint Maud, Cam, Relic, Impetigore, and Stopmotion should also get a ton of mainstream attention. Yes, those are all recommendations; do watch them ASAP. Also, since there’s an animated cameo from Mr. Crocket in Control Freak (do these Hulu movies exist in the same universe?), you should give it a try as well.

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