Director: Shal Ngo

Cast: Kelly Marie Tran, Miles Robbins, Kieu Chinh, Toan Le, Callie Johnson

Control Freak is a 2025 American horror film directed by Shal Ngo, starring Kelly Marie Tran as a high-achieving motivational speaker whose polished life unravels when a mysterious, relentless itch at the back of her skull refuses to let her rest — or stay sane.

What is Control Freak about?

Successful and self-assured, the protagonist has built a career on projecting confidence and calm to packed auditoriums. But beneath that curated exterior, something has taken hold: a persistent, maddening sensation at the base of her skull that no doctor can explain and no remedy can relieve. As the itch intensifies and begins to erode her focus, her relationships, and her grip on reality, she descends into increasingly desperate measures to find its source. The film peels back the veneer of self-control one layer at a time, asking whether the greatest horror lies outside us — or has always been within.

Cast & crew

Director Shal Ngo builds the film around Kelly Marie Tran, whose physical and emotional range anchors every scene. Miles Robbins, Kieu Chinh, and Toan Le round out a supporting cast that keeps the pressure mounting around the protagonist. Each performance is calibrated to reflect how the people closest to her register — and amplify — her unraveling.

Context & significance

For Persian-speaking viewers in the diaspora, Control Freak arrives with full Persian dubbing, making it immediately accessible whether you watch alone or with family members who prefer Farsi audio. The film's premise — a woman undone by something invisible and internal — taps into anxieties that travel well across cultures: the cost of perfectionism, the gap between the self we project and the self that suffers in private. Horror that roots itself in a protagonist's psychology tends to resonate with diaspora audiences who navigate dual identities and the relentless pressure to appear in control. Ngo's approach is more unsettling than gory, prioritising dread and atmosphere over shock. Available with Persian dub and Persian subtitles on K-Time.

Where & how to watch

Control Freak is available on K-Time with Persian dubbing and Persian subtitles. Stream directly from your browser, TV, or phone — no extra download, no VPN, and no geo-blocking. Sign up and cancel anytime.