disappointment media
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About

INFLUENCER -- An Uneven Social Media Thriller With an Intriguing Structure

5/22/2023

0 Comments

 
Review by Sean Boelman
Picture
In the modern age of social media, we have already seen numerous films capitalize on our increasingly online personas. Don’t let the Shudder release of Kurtis David Harder’s Influencer fool you — this isn’t really a horror movie, but rather, a thriller that tries (and only sometimes succeeds at) challenging our preconceived notions of social media personalities.

The film follows a social media influencer who, while beginning to grow disillusioned on a solo backpacking trip in Thailand, meets a free-spirited young woman who seems to encourage her to live her best life. However, it soon becomes clear that the apparently kind stranger might have more sinister intentions than it seems.

The first thirty minutes of the movie set up what seems like it will be a relatively traditional stalker thriller, albeit with an angle that is fundamentally modern. It’s somewhat hard to get into this influencer spin on Fatal Attraction because the characters are, quite frankly, a nuisance — although that is part of the point.

However, around the twenty-five minute mark, there is a twist that takes the film in a radically different direction from where it seemed to be heading in the first act. Although the delayed title card isn’t entirely earned, the second half of the movie is infinitely more compelling than the relatively weak setup.

​
Unfortunately, the film fails to use its intriguing premise to deliver much in the way of meaningful commentary on its themes. The movie’s themes are pretty standard questions about the price of fame, and the only substantial statement it offers as an answer is that once one gets a taste of it, it can be difficult to let it go.

The film is absolutely elevated by a strong performance by Cassandra Naud, who is wonderfully sinister. Emily Tennant, Sara Canning, and Rory J. Saper are all exaggeratedly awful as the influencers, but Naud consistently steals the show. Naud opts for a grounded take on the role when she easily could have gone hammy.

Perhaps the most disappointing thing about the movie is that director Kurtis David Harder doesn’t succeed at building suspense. We’re not necessarily rooting for Naud’s character — but we aren’t rooting against her either. The result is a feeling that we are watching this situation voyeuristically, and it feels somewhat cold.

Influencer is a pretty intriguing film, and while it’s a struggle to get through a somewhat obnoxious setup, the back half is rewarding in a way that makes it worth watching. Hopefully Cassandra Naud gets more substantial roles after this, because she is pretty phenomenal here.

Influencer streams on Shudder beginning May 26.

Rating: 3/5
               
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    Authors

    All
    Adam Donato
    Alan French
    Allison Brown
    Borja Izuzquiz
    Camden Ferrell
    Cole Groth
    Daniel Lima
    Dan Skip Allen
    Erin M. Brady
    Jonathan Berk
    Joseph Fayed
    Josh Batchelder
    Paris Jade
    Rafael Motamayor
    Sarah Williams
    Sean Boelman
    Tatiana Miranda

disappointment media

Dedicated to unique and diverse perspectives on cinema!
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About