Creative Control (film)

Creative Control
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Benjamin Dickinson
Written by
  • Benjamin Dickinson
  • Micah Bloomberg
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Adam Newport-Berra
Edited by
  • Megan Brooks
  • Andrew Hasse
Music by Dražen Bošnjak
Production
companies
  • Ghost Robot
  • Greencard Pictures
  • Mathematic
Distributed by
Release dates
  • March 14, 2015 (SXSW)
  • March 11, 2016 (United States)
  • November 9, 2016 (France)
Running time
97 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $63,014

Creative Control is a 2015 American science fiction drama film, directed by Benjamin Dickinson from a screenplay written by Micah Bloomberg and Dickinson. It stars Dickinson, Nora Zehetner, Dan Gill, Alexia Rasmussen, Gavin McInnes and Reggie Watts. The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 14, 2015. It was released on March 11, 2016, by Amazon Studios and Magnolia Pictures.

Plot

In the near future, an ad executive uses a new reality technology to conduct an affair with his best friend's girlfriend.

Cast

Post-production

A campaign was set up on Kickstarter.com to raise funds for the visual effects on the film, $32,000 was raised against a $30,000 goal.

Release

The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 14, 2015. Shortly after, Amazon Studios and Magnolia Pictures acquired distribution rights to the film. The film was released in a limited release on March 11, 2016. It was released on video on demand on April 12, 2016.

Reception

Creative Control received mixed reviews from film critics. It holds a 61% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 56 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10. On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 58 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

Ben Kengisberg of Variety gave the film a positive review writing: "But a contemplative tone, a zigzagging narrative, superb widescreen black-and-white cinematography and an infusion of dry humor make it feel genuinely fresh. Critical nurturing could help this moody, offbeat indie find its audience." Eric Kohn of Indiewire.com gave the film an A and a positive review writing: "At times, 'Creative Control' feels just a touch overstylized for its own good, with a few too many slo-mo bits set to classical music to remind us of the refined environment at every turn. Even then, however, the overstatement plays into the movie's favor by elaborating on the illusion of perfection created by twenty-first century machines. Visually scrumptious and slickly told, 'Creative Control' illustrates the power of groundbreaking technology while also indicting its extremes."