Stella (Lauren Metcalfe) is the Home Secretary for Prime Minister David Addams (Mark Hampton) in London. The affair they are engaged in is still a secret from the outside world, but not so much among their fellow staff. One evening, during one of David’s campaigns, Lauren offers to take his daughter, Evie (Eire Farrell), home when David needs to conduct more interviews and mingle with the supporters. Stella and Evie get into Stella’s luxury car, and Evie soon falls asleep in the back seat. But something unexpected happens as they begin to drive through the night after a long, busy day.
As Stella drives through the city in self-driving mode, her car drives in a different direction than she has requested. Stella has lost control of the car. Suddenly, her phone rings, and a mysterious man (voiced by Kevin Spacey) speaks to her. He tells her he has complete control over her car, including the doors, brakes, cameras, steering wheel, etc. Stella is understandably frightened and wants to know what is happening and why. But the voice on the phone refuses to reveal any motives other than to say he knows much about her. Now Stella must play his game and keep to his rules with the promise that The Voice will tell her more if she complies. He promises to let her and Evie walk free if she does what he wants. Can Stella discover who the mysterious voice on the phone is? And can Stella and Evie survive the night?
Control is a thriller movie directed by Gene Fallaize. It shares a similar concept to the 2002 movie Phone Booth, which is also mainly set in one central location. Here, the film is mostly set in Stella’s self-driving vehicle as she tries to outsmart the voice on the phone before any harm or damage occurs to herself or others close to her.
Unsurprisingly, Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey does an excellent job as the mysterious caller. He portrays the voice as a clever character who can become quite angry if Stella is not careful. Lauren Metcalfe, who carries most of the film, also delivers an outstanding performance. Throughout the movie, Stella experiences various emotions, including fear, worry, upset, and determination to obtain a safe outcome. At multiple points, she is also forced to do highly uncomfortable things, such as calling David’s wife, Sarah (Natasha Kemball), and revealing truths about her relationship with the Prime Minister.
[mailerlite_form form_id=1]Although the performances and voice work in the film are commendable, some aspects of the movie could have been more impactful. For instance, the background scenery while Stella is driving looks strangely fake. Furthermore, since most of the film is set inside a car, some scenes appear predictable, and the storyline follows a familiar path. Even the film’s ending is quite evident and foreseeable and feels like a missed opportunity to conclude the movie on a more significant note.
Overall, if you enjoyed the movie Phone Booth from 2002, another film that features a character trapped in one location by a mysterious voice on the phone, then you should give Control a chance. The concept of Control is excellent, and it is also relatable to today. Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey delivers an excellent performance as the threatening and menacing voice on the phone, and actress Lauren Metcalfe is also commendable in her performance, confined to the vehicle for most of the film. Despite the premise being familiar, it’s an enjoyable thriller for the most part, despite the few missed opportunities, such as the film’s evident and lacklustre finale.
Control (2023) will be available on DVD and digital starting April 3rd!
4.9/10
20th March 2024
Written by Peter Walkden
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