Control Freak

I was not familiar with this 2025 movie from writer and director Shal Ngo prior to stumbling upon it by random chance. And the movie's cover was interesting enough to make me stop up and take notice. And since it was a horror movie, of course I opted to check it out.

The narrative and storyline in the movie is somewhat of an acquired taste. I doubt that this is movie that will easily find a widespread appeal with the general audience. The narrative is unique, and thus might be somewhat of a niche thing. I found it to be adequate, but "Control Freak" by far from one of the greatest psychological horror movies that I've sat through.

The acting performances in the movie were good. And it was definitely nice to see Kelly Marie Tran in the leading role, and she carried the movie quite nicely.

Visually then the movie was okay. The special effects weren't outstanding or jaw-dropping, but then again the movie wasn't heavily relying on special effects to carry its narrative.

Watchable for what it was, but I doubt that I will ever return to watch "Control Freak" a second time. I will say, though, that I would say you should check out the movie if you enjoy off-beat horror movies that deviate from the generic formula.

My rating of writer and director Shal Ngo's 2025 movie "Control Freak" lands on a five out of ten stars.

I really tried to give this move a chance. There are not alot of redeeming qualities to this film. The acting is very hit and miss, sometimes they will convey all the true emotions then it's equal to a bad soap opera. The special effects are extremely lack luster. The shadows are done will but that's it. I can't say more without spoiling it. You'll see what I mean... It's rough. The story itself is very bad. It falls apart quick and doesn't come back. One thing this movie does very well is make you think you have an itch on your head. All the main character does is scratch! This movie is something to have on in the background but don't expect alot from it.

It is really hard to make a horror movie of this quality. Kudos to the director and especially the crew.

It is a suspense / horror movie like no other I have seen in the last 5 years.

I really liked the back and forth between the core story and the history that brought this movie together. My thought at first looking at this was = "another cheap movie and that I would disconnect within 20 minutes of watching it". To my surprise, I was hooked from the get-go. I sincerely think that if you give your concentration and the thoughts behind it, you should truly appreciate this movie.

If you are of sound mind and really put your heart in it, you will understand the wisdom and effort that were put in the script. I will recommend it without hesitations.

I found that a greatest disservice an author can make to a struggling protagonist, whose struggle is amplified through horror is juxtaposing them against a backdrop of supportive sound boards. Sometimes it's necessary. However, here I see some interesting symbolism and it simply falls short in that backdrop. She comes across as one-dimensional, her partner is an idealized portrayal of a person incapable of suffering or harm, and her ignoring her assistant or a doctor considering the severity of her state comes across as forced. Portrayal disregards complexities women face and appears as a writer's limited understanding of their character. I do prefer horror with social commentary and I am not feeling that here.

Control Freak is a film that refuses to give definitive answers to what is shown, and I can see that alienating those viewers who prefer a cut and dried resolution, but I loved the ambiguity - I think that the uncertainty adds to the mystery and sinister atmosphere of the movie.

Kelly Marie Tran plays successful life coach Valerie, who is about to embark on a world tour when she develops an irritating itch on the back of her head that she cannot help but scratch. The condition becomes more severe day by day, but her life gets considerably worse after she visits her estranged father, and delves into her troubled past. Are Valerie's problems 'demons of the mind' or are they the result of a literal demon, passed down through the generations, as her father claims?

Tran puts in an amazing performance that sees her going from positive motivational speaker to utterly deranged, as the inner demon - real or not - takes over her life. Valerie suffers from hallucinations that also increase in severity, starting off with disturbing visions of ants, but culminating in the appearance of a wonderfully unsettling demonic creature that she is forced to confront. Is the wound in her head infected, causing her to see things that aren't really there? Has her childhood trauma - the death of her mother - come back to haunt her? Or is she really possessed by a Vietnamese demon called Sanshi? I cannot say for sure, but I definitely had fun with this film, which goes from initial slow-burn to totally demented at the end.

7.5/10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.