Control Freak (2025) spoiler free review
It’s in your head. Control Freak is a 2025 American body horror film written and directed by Shal Ngo. It’s based on Ngo’s short film of the same name, featured in Hulu’s original TV series Bite Size Halloween. The film was released on March 13, 2025, on Hulu.
A motivational speaker is tormented by an unrelenting itch on the back of her head.
Film synopsis
The cast includes Kelly Marie Tran as Valerie, Callie Johnson as Crystal, Miles Robbins as Robbie, Kieu Chinh as Thuy, Zack Gold as Mason, Scott Takeda as Dr. Chen, and Toan Le as Sang.
2025 body horror, Control Freak, presents a chilling portrait of a woman unraveling under the weight of her own meticulously constructed life. Valerie, a motivational speaker projecting an image of flawless success, is a prisoner of her own need for control. Haunted by childhood trauma related to her mother, a strained relationship with her father, and the relentless pressure of her career, Valerie’s carefully constructed facade begins to crumble. Her compulsive scalp scratching, and the terrifying visions of a bug-like demon that manifests with ants, become a visceral representation of her internal turmoil that threatens to destroy her life.
The film cleverly uses the demon as a metaphor for the insidious nature of mental illness, particularly anxiety and OCD, and how they can seize control of one’s life like a bug taking over a host. The story’s concept paired with folklore, and psychological horror create an original and intriguing plot. The film also effectively presents Valerie’s escalating anxiety through disorienting editing, unsettling camera work, and a tension-building soundtrack. The film’s sound design is particularly effective, triggering visceral reactions with the constant, disturbing sounds of Valerie’s compulsive scratching and skin picking.
However, Control Freak struggles to maintain its momentum. The film’s extended runtime and uneven pacing detract from its impact, and the narrative, while ambitious, never fully achieves a cohesive balance between its various thematic elements. While the film hints at deeper explorations of trauma and mental illness, it ultimately feels as though it only scratches the surface.
Despite its flaws, the film delivers moments of genuine horror and effectively conveys the suffocating grip of anxiety. The film’s strong technical execution and the compelling central performance make it a noteworthy, if ultimately flawed, entry in the body horror genre. While it possessed the potential to be a truly profound and unsettling experience, Control Freak leaves the audience with a sense of what could have been.