Body horror has been coming back in movies this past year, and I could not be more thrilled. Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance is the best of the bunch, addressing how society perceives our appearances and how humanity strives for perfection. The Shudder original, Grafted, is another body-horror film with similar themes. It’s so identical that horror fans have dubbed it “Substance Lite.” The First Omen and Immaculate both included elements of body horror that explored the theme of forced birth. Nightbitch, starring Amy Adams, employed body horror to convey the feelings experienced during postpartum.
Body horror has long been used to illustrate the multi-layered nature of the human experience. Feelings and emotions can manifest in various ways, and the resurgence of body horror in film effectively showcases this in gruesome ways. This is one of my favorite subgenres, even if it’s one of the hardest to watch. Classics like The Thing and The Fly will always be my favorites and cannot be surpassed, but I get excited when I see filmmakers take a stab at the genre and create original content in today’s age.
Hulu Original Control Freak came to my attention when it was announced for release on the platform in March. This American body-horror film extends a segment from Hulu’s Bite-Sized Halloween, an anthology of horror shorts released in October. Mr. Crocket is another short adapted into a feature-length movie last year. I love the idea of allowing new filmmakers to create a full-length film after they submit a short to test the waters.
But does the short translate into a full-blown movie?
Written and directed by Shal Ngo, Control Freak follows Val, played by Kelly Marie Tran, who is a successful motivational speaker and self-help guru. Between her live speeches about ignoring the destructive voice in one’s head, we see her struggling with an annoying itch on the back of her head that she cannot seem to leave alone.
The film reveals glimpses of an incident from Val’s childhood involving her mother, father and herself on a boat ride. We watch Val holding her breath underwater in her pool, but the reason for this practice is not revealed until closer to the end of the film.
One day, Val visits her father to retrieve her birth certificate for an international tour she is hosting. During this visit, the audience learns about the folklore surrounding the Sanshi, a parasitic ghost that feeds on humans. The rest of the film depicts Val’s descent into madness and questions whether this ghost is real or a figment of her imagination.
The star of this movie is undoubtedly Kelly Marie Tran. Despite what the Star Wars fandom says, I was already a fan of hers from The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). She has a sweet and rich voice that I find lovely. She balances her performance in Control Freak so well between her motivational speaker persona and as Val, a regular person suffering from unresolved trauma. It was like two completely different characters.
Her husband’s character, Robbie, was miscast. While I genuinely appreciate Miles Robbins as an actor, his portrayal in this project felt somewhat contrived and lacking in authenticity. The chemistry between him and Tran came across as rather tepid, leaving their relationship awkward and unconvincing. I’ve always enjoyed Robbins’ performances, particularly in Halloween (2018), where he captured the essence of a stoner-jokester teenager with effortless charm and wit. Perhaps he would shine more brightly in roles leaning toward lighter or less severe themes, where his comedic talents can flourish.
The sound design of the scratching noises in this film is outstanding. I was squirming in my seat with unease. If you’ve seen the movie poster, you know an ant is coming out of her eyeball. And there are plenty of ants in this movie! Your skin will crawl and itch from the sounds and visuals. There’s something about body horror that really bugs me. Scenes featuring ants that unfortunately stick in my mind are from Hereditary and Drag Me to Hell. If you know, you know!
The ants in Control Freak weren’t strictly necessary but contributed to the “ick” factor.
The creature design showcased incredible craftsmanship, blending practical effects and CGI in a visually striking way. However, despite its impressive execution, it didn’t bring anything particularly new. Without giving away too much, the creature had a familiar aesthetic reminiscent of characters we’ve seen in Stranger Things or from the Alien franchise. While I commend the crew for their skill in creating a visually appealing monster, I wished for greater creativity and originality. Though technically proficient, the concept lacked the spark to elevate it into truly unforgettable territory.
The aspect that ultimately ruined this movie for me was the pacing. The film excelled at building suspense and dread through the sound design and score that really got under your skin, only to pull us back down to reality. The truly genuine moments didn’t start to hit until over an hour into the film. It felt prolonged and tedious. When the absolute gritty horror kicked in, it was basically the third act, with only 20 minutes left until the end. I appreciate that they embraced the extremes and gore to make the movie feel somewhat worthwhile, but I don’t believe that saved it for me.
Most of the film unfolds as a family drama, interspersed with unsettling moments that create a sense of discomfort rather than genuine horror. The narrative attempts to explore profound themes surrounding trauma and the impacts of mental illness on familial relationships. However, this approach feels familiar and has been executed more effectively in other horror films. While Tran delivers a commendable performance as Val, capturing her character’s complexities with nuance, the film’s lack of pacing ultimately detracts from the overall experience.
As a result, viewers may find themselves disengaged and dissatisfied, craving a more compelling narrative arc and emotional depth.
I rate Control Freak two and a half out of five stars. I give the team points for Tran’s performance and for attempting a promising premise. The movie is 104 minutes long, and I believe a lot of that first hour could be cut, not to mention some minor subplots that weren’t resolved. Unfortunately, some shorts need to remain bite-sized, and this is one of them.
I’m going to say skip this one.