One of the things that makes the Horror genre so fluid is how it can be adapted to technology at nearly the same speed at which tech moves. Horror has a long history of exploring how new ways of living can be used against us, even while most people are using them and are none the wiser. Making its premiere via Shudder on May 26, 2023, Influencer is one such film that. In fact, through clever writing and directing, it reminds us how malleable our perception of the people on social media truly is.
What exactly is an influencer? Well, that is a bit hard for us who grew up without social media to pin down. In short, it’s someone who is hired to promote a product, but also peddle in a kind of quasi-inspirational brand, and their followers live vicariously through them and their adventures. Madison (Emily Tennant: Jennifer’s Body 2009, Mr. Young series) is one such social media star, who goes to Thailand to promote her sponsors and herself, and is shown in the usual picturesque tourist spots, taking perfectly staged photos in the truly beautiful tropical paradise, and dispensing the familiar platitudes of self-discovery, inspiration, and anything approximating spiritual fulfillment. Underneath the hood, things are not so glamorous, as she is lonely and bored without her boyfriend, who didn’t come for the trip.
She soon meets another young woman, CW (Cassandra Naud: See series, Snowpiercer series), who quickly befriends the vulnerable Madison, and the two seem to connect. There is, however, something predatory about CW from the start. She’s a little too on the nose in both her timing and approach, and Madison is oblivious until there are serious consequences for her.
CW is quite the professional in the thief department. She’s clever and tech savvy, able to manipulate pictures, text and voice messages, and project a false online persona that looks just as real as the others. Like all predators, she soon craves more, which leads her to another traveling influencer, Jessica (Sara Canning: The Vampire Diaries series, Remedy series). CW’s plan to repeat her routine as she did with Madison is disrupted by the surprise arrival of Madison’s boyfriend, Ryan (Rory J Saper: Rufus 2012, Incontrol 2017). What follows is a well-written Thriller with several unpredictable turns, and characters who mercifully break the usual rule of making braindead decisions.
Influencer is directed and co-written by Kurtis David Harder, who does a very good job of keeping viewers informed of the characters’ motivations and actions, yet invested in how they’re going to react to the numerous surprises they face in this chaotic situation. It’s not an easy balance to strike, and without smart, determined characters it wouldn’t work. Fortunately, all three of the main characters are just that, and it’s hard to keep track of who has the upper hand amid the ever-changing dynamics. Ryan is trying to find his girlfriend, CW is barely holding onto her veneer of deception, and Jessica is perceptive and wary, never being taken for a fool.
Adding to everything, Influencer is beautifully shot, and itself serves as a good ad for vacationing in Thailand. From the incredible landscape shots, to the luxury hotels, and the small street shops, everything is immersive and inviting. If this accurately portrays the job of influencer, it’s one almost anyone would jump on if possible, boring or not.
Overall, Influencer is one of the nice surprises of 2023 thus far. It’s a compelling Thriller about how what we see is not what’s real, and the emptiness of clout-chasing, which is played as a sort of Ponzi scheme of social acceptance. It’s well-acted and especially well-written, and should be on any Horror fan’s watchlist this year. For these reasons, Cryptic Rock gives Influencer 4 out of 5 stars.
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