TV Review: 'Control Z' Emerges As A Teen Thriller Netflix Needs

Control Z Yankel Stevan Raúl León Netflix
Image by Ana Cristina Blumenkron/Netflix
If you like some suspense injected into your teen dramas, "Control Z" is the Netflix show for you. It has been a long time since The CW was the top destination to find the genre operating at its best.

There was "Gossip Girl" and the "90210" reboot hot on the heels of the incomparable "One Tree Hill." Stepping up to fill the void left in those shows' absence is Netflix's "Control Z," a teen drama that captivates with a healthy dose of "Pretty Little Liars" meets the "Scream" TV show. The addictive series is set at a ritzy high school in Mexico.

The school's students have a lot of secrets, and Sofia (Ana Valeria Becerril), who styles herself a Sherlock Holmes of sorts, is no exception. All of this drama boiling beneath the surface explodes when an anonymous hacker blackmails and exposes her classmates one-by-one, starting with the mega-popular Isabela (an impressive Zión Moreno). Hence, the plot of "Control Z." In the interest of staying spoiler-free, I will not say more.

The Spanish-language series paints a picture of teen life that hits on some timely issues while weaving them into a mystery. Who is the hacker, and what do they ultimately hope to achieve? Sofia, new student Javier (Michael Ronda), and their classmate Raúl (Yankel Stevan) work to uncover to answer. It takes eight episodes to do so, and it is a wildly engaging experience.

"Control Z" is what Netflix is all about. A show that dares you to binge it and leaves you feeling both satiated and wanting more when it is over. That said, you have to watch through sweaty fingers at times as the bullying depicted is disturbing beyond belief. Accordingly, you will be left frustrated as tormentors, both evident and hidden, have more wins than losses.

To say that, "Control Z" is an absorbing watch that entertains as much as it makes you think would be an accurate assessment. The episodes flow with tremendous synergy, all the while leaving you with an end-of-episode cliffhanger destined to keep your mind racing in between installments.

Netflix has conquered many genres with its original programming, but "Control Z" is its most robust effort where the teen drama genre is concerned. The mystery is more rewarding in terms of is pay-offs, and its demonstration of what intolerance creates is powerful. "Control Z" has the X factor to be one of the streamer's buzziest series. 

I will be standing by waiting for Season 2, which has been confirmed by Netflix. "Control Z" Season 1 is currently streaming on Netflix along with some movie options.

Rating: 8.5/10

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