Netflix has unleashed its arsenal of teen drama this quarantine to keep us occupied; including Mexican drama #ControlZ released on May 22, 2020.
Plot: Follows the story of Sofía, a socially isolated and deranged student (according to classmates) who tries to uncover the identity of a hacker that begins releasing students' secrets to the entire high school (very Gossip Girl). This is gold for teen drama and the story could have been great but it falls short. Netflix loves shows that have an element of mystery and investigation (see: Elite). The show plays into every stereotypes of a Wattpad fanfic. We have the:
~"I'm not like other girls" protagonist
~bad boy love interest
~love triangle with the good guy, the bad guy and a girl that has to choose one
~the victim of bulling falls in love with the bully
~new kid befriends the weird kid (even though he clearly is seen to be a 'cool' kid
Characters: Now on to the characters. Sofia and all her classmates are blah. Even though this is a teen drama, I kept forgetting this facts just due to the fact that these people look so old and like they should know better. No redeeming qualities, no character arcs, nothing. Ironically, the best characters are the ones we don't pay much attention to because they were just representing a singular stereotype like Javier, Isabela and Luis. Then, we also have Raul repping the Toronto Raptors like he is Drake (or me!)
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| Raul Repping the 2019 NBA Champions Toronto Raptors |
Spoilers: Of course the 'losers' secrets get unveiled too. Because the school supposedly cares about them too?! Anyways, Sofía is not exempt from the drama. Her secret is revealed towards the end with no further details or explanation. Like, how does no one know about her dad? He doesn't disguise himself or hide. The hacker found him so easily by just following Sofia. The hacker did not have much of a villain origin story to make his motivations plausible.
Verdict: If you need to pass time or practice your Spanish, it's a quick binge. Don't expect much in terms of plot and script; you will be disappointed.
Warning: the show has depictions of self harm. Because well, Netflix loves to glamorize it (see 13RW)
Warning: the show has depictions of self harm. Because well, Netflix loves to glamorize it (see 13RW)
