Digital Premiere Date: 22 May 2020
Netflix's library is getting filled up in a hurry. The platform is doing it right when it comes to entertaining its audiences with a vast amount of content, at this time, where it is needed the most. With a lot of shows and films hitting the marquee in the past few days, Control Z did generate some buzz thanks to its impressive trailer and the high school setting of the film which was sure to draw teens. And rightfully so, the show delivers a good-if-not-great binge watch that suffers from inconsistencies but still pays off very well at the end.
What's the story about?
Control Z narrates the incidents that take place around the lead character Sophia (Anna Valeria Becerril), a rather silent yet obsessive girl who gets intertwined in a case where a mysterious hacker reveals dirty secrets to the entire school. The famous poster boys and girls of the school get affected through this unforeseen occurrence, and as things heat up, Sophia starts to take extra interest and begin her search for the person behind all the mess.
In the lead role, Anna Valeria Becerril who plays Sophia does a pretty good job, paying heed to the limited palette that her character has when it comes to sporting expressions. Anna is superb while portraying her reticent side, and balances her brainy angles very well onscreen too. Her character makes friends with Javier (Michael Ronda), the new kid on the block, and the duo slowly begin to unveil more than what they first expected. The entire cast of Control Z is filled with good performers all around, and though they might have places where they seem a little too conscious or don't mirror emotions perfectly, it's forgivable in the greater good of the show.
The best thing about Control Z is how the makers give it more room than just a straightforward story that tracks the man behind the mess, by adding a lot of sentimental drama to the proceedings. This is done by pulling in many topics that exist in today's world such as depression, anxiety, cybercrime, bullying and even LGBTQI issues. This factor makes the show greater than what it is actually is, for these angles tend to make more importance to the proceedings than the actual reveal, as the episodes move forward. With punchy character sketches for every student in the mainframe, Control Z does the trick when it comes to holding your attention. Some of the drama does seem a little too amateurish and needless, but the shows' first and last episodes are so well done, you won't complain much.
Control Z is lucky to get its hands on a stylish soundtrack that truly complements the proceedings very well. Even the darker and deep sides of the show have the perfect songs to accompany the mood, and that becomes a very good thing to own overall. The cinematography and editing are neat, even though the episodes feel longer than they actually are at times.
Control Z's characterizations are what make it worth our time, and that goes to all the young students of the school who come with diverse shades. The series takes its time to enhance every character by adding depth through their activities, likes and dislikes. Coupled with a really cool soundtrack, it gets better.
The attention that was allotted to the young ones in the show should have also been given to the elder beings, who do not make an impact at all. In hindsight, the dampeners of the show are when characters such as the imperfect principal Quintanilla (Rodrigo Cachero) and the parents of the students come in, and some more tinkering there would have definitely made it a better end product.
Did I enjoy it?
For most parts, yes. More than the thrills and twists that it provides, there was a fair amount of drama that kept me interested. Though there were some dry patches here and there, they didn't affect my overall opinion of the show.
If you are a fan of teen dramas, Control Z could turn out to be an interesting watch for you. It is not path-breaking stuff, but it gets a lot of things right under the small umbrella that it holds. This is good entertainment, at runtime of under 6 hours.