Tags:
Film: Control Freak
Year: 2025
Director: Shal Ngo
Writer: Shal Ngo
Starring: Kelly Marie Tran, Miles Robbins and Callie Johnson
Review:
This was a film that I found when searching for 2025 horror films. Since I couldn’t make it to the theater at this time due to the birth of my second child, I’m checking out the ones that are streaming. The poster caught my attention. Looking into the synopsis and ensuring that this was horror, I was intrigued by this one. Other than that, I came into this one blind. I’ve also given it a second watch to see where I sat with it.
Synopsis: a motivational speaker is tormented by an unrelenting itch on the back of her head.
Let’s start by introducing the lead character, Valerie ‘Vy’ Nguyen (Kelly Marie Tran), who is the motivational speaker from the synopsis. She is married to Robbie (Miles Robbins) who works on her public relations team. What we see is that she is successful. She came from nothing and is trying to stay at the top. This comes with stress.
Vy has an upcoming world tour. There is an issue that she needs to find her birth certificate for paperwork to go to Asian countries on it. Crystal (Callie Johnson) is her manager, needing this document to submit. The problem is that Vy doesn’t know where it is. She goes to her Aunt Thuy (Kieu Chinh), who runs a nail salon. She finds out that there is a box missing and that she needs to seek out her father.
It should be pointed out here that Vy doesn’t follow the religion of her people. She gets a letter from a nearby monastery, reminding to honor her mother. We learn that she passed away when Vy was a girl. It might have been suicide. Her father is a recovering drug addict, who is now a monk. He is Sang (Toan Le). She seeks him out at his monastery to find this missing box. It is there she sees an image hanging on his wall of an entity that he calls Sanshi.
Something else from the synopsis to include is that Vy has this itch that is getting worse. She’s rubbed it raw to the point where it is bleeding. We even see her using a file to try to satiate the feeling. The more that Vy looks into things, the more that she starts to wonder if there is an evil entity following her. This goes against her sensibilities though, questioning to find a more moral explanation. The truth might even go back to when she was born. Her parents might have been dealing with this and it could date back to her father’s time during the Vietnam War. Robbie thinks that it is just the stress of everything. Vy must figure it out though before it is too late.
That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is by giving credit to my buddy Evan. When he saw that I was watching this, he brought up that this would pair well with the movie Bug. This would be the one from 2006 that was directed by William Fiedkin. That got me in the mindset of what we’re getting here. He’s correct as well. We have two films that are exploring the psyche of our lead character and as to whether the things they’re experiencing are real.
Now that I have that set up, I do love the idea that we’re getting a character study of Vy who is a motivational speaker. In the world of the movie, she’s one of the best in the world. Her books are selling. Her tours are doing so well that she’s booked a world tour. I don’t think it is a mistake that our writer/director Shal Ngo is also of Asian descent. There are cultural aspects like Tran having pressure put on her by family to succeed. What is interesting there is that her parents or her aunt aren’t overly successful. Aunt Thuy runs a nail salon, which I’m not looking down on. It is successful but at one point, she points out that she cannot afford a massage chair that Vy purchases for her. There are familial and religious duties that Vy is ignoring, that was something else. These being set up and having a demon from Vietnam following her are good choices that I wanted to give credit to.
There are other aspects here that factor in with Vy being a woman. First, there is her husband, Robbie. His main concern is having a child. Vy is hesitant and we see that she is secretly still taking her birth control. She is partially to blame here for his excitement. I get the idea she placated by saying she also wants a child, but she isn’t fully ready. Her career is important to her. My wife and I have had similar conversations. Another aspect that is also due to her being a woman is that she is fed lines to help her. This annoys her for good reason since this is her profession. She gives advice. There is one that stood out where she snaps at Robbie, even tossing a copy of her book at him. The elements of sexism are subtle and good touches. Credit to Tran and Robbins for their performances as well.
The story delves into horror, beginning with Vy's persistent itch. She avoids a doctor visit, attempting self-treatment. A doctor insists she come in, worried it's psychosomatic due to unresolved issues and stress. Vy then fears demonic possession, manifested by Stanley White Jr. (body) and Phu Quoc (voice). The classic dilemma arises: possession or stress-induced madness? While I lean towards a creature, the filmmakers maintain ambiguity, though a second viewing reveals hints of an entity.
I’ll then discuss acting performances. I’ve given Tran credit by saying that she does a great job. There is a good touch that we have editing of showing videos where she is giving her presentation, but then showing us her current situation where she isn’t using what she tells the audience. That duality of Vy is a great touch and performance. Chinh, Le and Sabrina Davi work as her family. White and Quoc bring the Sanshi to life. I’d say that overall, the acting is solid across the board to make this work.
All that is left then is filmmaking. This is where I’ll bring up what I was discussing with Tran’s performance. I love the editing of when she is giving this talk and syncing it up with her going insane. It is showing that even people who have great advice might have their issues in their personal life they can’t handle well. I loved seeing that explored and used. The cinematography and framing are good. I love what they do with shadows. Another good touch is using ants to show the possession of this evil entity. This uses CGI to be brought to life. It also uses practical effects for the entity as well. There are brutal things done in the third act that I wasn’t expecting. They made me cringe. I also like the sound design for this spirit’s creepy voice. The music also helps with the atmosphere.
In conclusion, this offers a compelling and nuanced horror experience that masterfully blends psychological exploration with supernatural elements. The film excels as a character study of Vy, effectively portraying the pressures of success and cultural expectations. The strong performances, particularly from Tran, contribute significantly to the film's impact, further enhanced by clever editing and atmospheric sound design. While maintaining a satisfying ambiguity between demonic possession and stress-induced madness, the movie provides enough unsettling hints to lean towards a genuine supernatural threat. The unique visual touches and brutal third act solidify Control Freak as a film I highly recommend, especially for those who appreciate horror that delves into the human psyche.
My Rating: 7 out of 10