Affable everyman insurance agent Lance Bishop (a lively and engaging performance by Adam Baldwin) discovers that he's the unwitting subject of a nefarious mind control experiment being conducted by some shady secret government agency. Assisted by angry ghetto resident Reggie (a typically fine Tony Todd), Lance becomes determined to expose said evil plot to a blithely ignorant and apathetic outside world. Director Nelson McCormick, working from an absorbing script by John Dombrow, relates the compelling story at a constant brisk pace, builds a good deal of tension, creates a suitably edgy and paranoid atmosphere, and further spruces things up with a galvanizing flashy and glossy hopped-up style. Better still, there's a strong and provocative central theme about fate vs. free will, the narrative delivers a couple of genuinely surprising twists, and the whole thing bravely concludes on an effectively ambiguous and ambivalent note. The sturdy acting helps a lot: Baldwin makes for a sympathetic protagonist, Todd does well in his role, Elizabeth Berkley is likewise excellent as Lance's lovely wife Karen, Conrad Dunn contributes a memorably slimy turn as slippery agent Thrillkill, and John Neville has a neat bit as the sinister director who runs the operation. Rudolf Blahacek's slick, fluid, and agile cinematography gives the picture impressively sleek look. Pete Kreser's moody and elegant score also hits the spot. A nice little movie.
Review of Control Factor
