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Kontroll Movie Review

Kontroll is a 2003 Hungarian thriller comedy film directed by Nimrod Antal and starring Sandor Csanyi and Zoltan Mucsi. It’s such an original, crazy movie.

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“This is a shit of a day.

And it hasn’t even started yet“

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It depicts a fictionalized version of the Budapest Metro system. The title in Hungarian refers to the act of ticket inspectors checking to ensure a rider has paid their fare. The story revolves around the ticket inspectors, riders, and a possible killer. This was a very interesting, different movie and I did not expect just how unique it would be.

Although its tonal shifts and versatility in genres doesn’t always work, it is still an undeniably potent blend of thriller and comedy elements. As for the comedy part, the ticket inspecting sequences are hilarious and so realistic in the passengers’ disinterest and the clumsiness of the inspectors themselves. This group of men is so silly and incompetent at their job that all of their failures were very amusing to follow.

But the movie also succeeds as a thriller, though of course its impact in that area was somewhat blunted due to the movie’s very comedic tone. Chasing this hooded figure was very intense with some truly suspenseful sequences. I loved that we did not get to see who it was in the end, and the mysteriousness of this killer is one of the movie’s highlights.

Kontroll features excellent character development with every single personality being vividly portrayed and so well realized. The professor character is quite amusing, Bulcsu is the best developed character, the one for whom you naturally root for throughout the film. I also loved the character of Zsofi. This crazy girl in a bear outfit was very endearing and she pleasantly reminded me of anime female characters. Muki is also great and Bela is very memorable.

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The acting is excellent. Sandor Csanyi is especially strong in his great role. Kontroll is also stupendously directed by the very talented Nimrod Antal while the cinematography is absolutely amazing, especially in the well executed action scenes. The movie presents this ‘Dark City’-like, almost post-apocalyptic subterranean world that is nothing like the real Budapest Metro system. It’s heightened in reality and highly memorable. I just wish the tone and the pacing were better.