What first looks as if physique horror involving ants, evolves into psychological horror diving deep right into a disturbing household historical past.
PLOT: A motivational speaker is suffering from an unrelenting itch on the again of her head.
REVIEW: Physique horror is all the fad proper now and fortunately, with so many movies being launched yearly, some are in a position to capitalize on the pattern. I’ve been of a number of of the Hulu Horror ventures like The Mill and Mr. Crocket, so I’m excited to see one other launch from them. And the truth that it’s physique horror is all of the extra intriguing. As a result of there are all the time loads of completely different avenues to take a movie that depends on making your pores and skin crawl. Management Freak combines the metaphorical with an actual life monster to present us a really distinctive expertise.
Management Freak follows motivational speaker Val, as she finds herself being suffering from an itch on her head that received’t go away. With a sophisticated household historical past, she has to look into her previous with a purpose to resolve the issue. Her husband, Robbie, actually needs a child, however she’s not keen to decide to that call but. Like many self assist professionals, Val spouts all of these things about discovering her true self. In doing so, she tries to keep away from her family historical past, thus avoiding her true self. It provides her an attention-grabbing impediment to beat however it all feels so self-inflicted. However that is actually a efficiency film.
There’s one thing about Kelly Marie Tran’s efficiency that feels a bit uneven at first. I actually preferred her extra considerate and investigative facet however her motivational talking lacks in fact. She sounds a bit awkward and robotic in these situations. If it was a selection, it didn’t work for me and clashes together with her believability. Fortunately, that’s actually just the start and she or he settles properly into the function. She’s nice when it’s all about her descent into insanity. I’ve been a fan of Miles Robbins since Halloween (2018) and Daniel Isn’t Actual so it’s good to see him pop up right here. He’s typically forged a supportive companion, as is the case right here, and he pairs nicely with Tran.
We not often see ants get such a outstanding placement in horror. It’s typically spiders that get to have all of the enjoyable however Management Freak proves that ants are simply as deserving of a spot within the creepy crawly cinema corridor of fame. We get loads of glimpses of the bugs all through, and so they’re positive to get your pores and skin crawling. However, regardless of what the poster might make you suppose, they’re actually only a conduit for one thing else. The FX work ranges from hokey to fairly spectacular. I wasn’t a fan when the monster was in its extra “ant-like” state because it regarded a bit corny. However I preferred it as soon as it began to only be this long-limbed, darkish creature. I received’t deny its weirdness, however it labored for me.
They hit a number of horror tropes just like the “wake up from a dream multiple times” schtick, which feels so rattling drained by this level. Nevertheless it by no means will get too out of hand with checking packing containers. If something, I used to be impressed with how author/director Shal Ngo pulled off the climax. Even when it was a bit choreographed, that didn’t diminish the general affect of the message. Each time I assumed the movie may be going too far in a single route, it reels itself in. Although, talking of reels, there’s this loopy gadget that reels an individual’s arms in and locks them in place as they sleep. I’m hoping that this isn’t an actual gadget as even the concept of it gave me nervousness.
Management Freak doesn’t break any new floor narratively, however it showcases fantastic performances from its burgeoning forged and boasts some unbelievable visuals. I like a dose of bizarre with my physique horror and whereas it doesn’t go too loopy, it does go far sufficient that I’m positive it’ll lose some extra pedestrian viewers. Whereas it has some missteps, I preferred the journey of Management Freak. What looks as if a narrative about inner wrestle erupts right into a monster film with some actually unsettling moments.
CONTROL FREAK RELEASES TO HULU ON MARCH 14TH, 2025.
