Control

R

Released Apr 1, 2005

1h 45m

Mystery & Thriller

Action

List

82%

66 Reviews

Tomatometer

89%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Bulcsú (Sándor Csányi) is a subway enforcement officer working in the oppressively gray underground transit system in Hungary, whose job consists of ensuring commuters have paid to ride the train. A quirky young woman (Eszter Balla) catches his eye, and their relationship suggests that Bulcsú might escape from the drudgery of his subterranean life and finally see sunlight again. But first he needs to find out why passengers are jumping -- or being pushed -- to their deaths onto the tracks.

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Critics Consensus

Kontroll is a smart thriller that's dark, gritty, and funny.

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dave s

Kontroll is a slick and stylish film set in the subterranean world of Budapest's subway system, following the exploits of ticket inspectors as they grind their way through thankless day after thankless day. Despite featuring some witty dialogue, nice visuals and interesting encounters, things seem to get a bit repetitive as the beleaguered inspectors encounter increasingly combative members of the public. Basically, it's an episodic exercise where some of the episodes work while others become tiresome, like the scene in the psychiatrist's office. It's an admirable attempt at something different that only partially succeeds.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A strange hermetic Hungarian comedy-thriller, set entirely in the grimy netherworld of the Budapest subway system. A posse of ticket inspectors are charged with ensuring every passenger has a permit. Why are they stuck down there? Why do they all look so ill? And who is the strange hooded figure who seems to signify death? It's a measure of the confidence and skill here that none of this seems pretentious and so much of it is funny.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

david l

Kontroll presents this very unique blend of comedy and thriller elements. Although the tone and pacing are sometimes problematic, the characters are vividly portrayed, the action scenes are superbly executed and the humor is truly fantastic with many very funny moments. The movie portrays the Budapest Metro system in this very heightened, almost SF subterranean manner and it was very authentic to witness.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Don't believe the internet hype. This movie is boring and pointless. The whole thing revolves around such a mundane concept - the ticket checking - and there is no reason for any of the characters to be this invested over something no one considers important! Oh, and how is this a dark comedy? Nothing funny happens at all!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

Audience Member

"Kontroll" is a pleasantly wacky film. It is set underground (in the Budapest metro) and that makes it pretty special - and it's not just a gimmick. Nimród Antal makes excellent use of the subway system as well as the cast and delivers an exciting, varied little gem that meshes suspense, comedy, romance, mystery and drama very well. The finale is just beautiful and reveals an unadorned allegorical take on the film's underground setting which strikes as very resonant.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

Audience Member

surreal,thrill-ride and fun.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

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Nimród Antal

Director

Sándor Csányi

Bulcsú

Zoltán Mucsi

Professor

Sándor Badár

Lecsó

Csaba Pindroch

Muki

Zsolt Nagy

Tibi

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Jul 10, 2005

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Lisa Kennedy

Denver Post

You don't need a deep, dark forest to tell an unsettling fable about the struggle for freedom or the battles waged between the shadows and the things that glow.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 1, 2005

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Jason Gorber

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It's not a perfect film by any means, but it certainly succeeds quite well in telling its tale with enough charm and gore to keep thing interesting.

Rated: B

Jun 21, 2007

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Bruce Feld

Film Journal International

Even though we spend the entire film underground, Hungary has never looked more buoyant.

Mar 1, 2007

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Though the film is crowd-pleasing enjoyable, it never fully brings in enough light to its underground setting to completely satisfy as a fully realized work.

Rated: B-

Nov 3, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

Bulcsú (Sándor Csányi) is a subway enforcement officer working in the oppressively gray underground transit system in Hungary, whose job consists of ensuring commuters have paid to ride the train. A quirky young woman (Eszter Balla) catches his eye, and their relationship suggests that Bulcsú might escape from the drudgery of his subterranean life and finally see sunlight again. But first he needs to find out why passengers are jumping -- or being pushed -- to their deaths onto the tracks.

Director: Nimród Antal
Screenwriter: Jim Adler, Nimród Antal
Distributor: ThinkFilm
Production Co: Bonfire
Rating: R (Language|Strong Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Action
Original Language: Hungarian
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 1, 2005, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 24, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.8M
Runtime: 1h 45m
Sound Mix: DTS, Dolby Digital

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