Directed By: Kurtis David Harder
Starring: Cassandra Naud, Sara Canning, Emily Tennant, Paul Spurrier
Plot Summary: While struggling on a solo backpacking trip in Thailand, social media influencer Madison meets CW, who travels with ease and shows her a more uninhibited way of living, but CW’s interest in her takes a darker turn.
Tech-terror movies have always been a fascinating sub-genre, especially now that they have spawned into social media horror. Superhost, Cam and Follow Her are all excellent examples of grade-A social-screamers. One aspect of these movies that is most enjoyable is they never judge, nor talk down to the audience. In other words, they don’t feel like a lecture from a boomer on why having an Insta account will be the downfall of human kind. Of course, you certainly get films in this niche horror sub-genre that do feel very preachy and tone deaf.
Mostly, there is a gross undercurrent of misogyny woven into these narratives. Pretty much, woman using her agency to make it in a system already rigged against her is bad, thus she must be shamed and, if possible, punished. It wasn’t clear where exactly Influencer would fall on this spectrum. Thankfully, after a nearly breakneck paced outing, we can say that this is in the former camp. Hell, if it weren’t for a few issues, this would rank as a favorite of this sub-genre. Kurtis David Harder is no stranger to elevated but very pulpy and interesting horror. He recently directed Spiral, which has its issues, but is an enjoyable time overall. He also earns points for having produced bangers like V/H/S/94, Still/Born and more.
Harder is clearly a horror fan, and he is able to craft some great tense moments. Yet, it’s also smartly written (with a few missteps), and Influencer has a wickedly dark sense of humor, something present in much of Harder’s previous work. This black comedy serves the film quite well, and highlights the absurd nature of social-media commerce. The subject matter is thankfully handled quite well. When talking about influencers, especially women, it’s a fine line to walk. It’s fairly easy to fall into the reductive stereotype. While yes, Madison does all the annoying things like take pictures of her dinner and seemingly is never fully “present” or “in the moment” even though these are the hollow platitudes she posts on her socials. Yet, we see that behind her smile she is deeply dissatisfied and questioning her vocation. Madison is very much self-aware and likable enough that, flawed as she may be, we are still firmly on her side. This sympathy is paramount, as a lot of the suspense and intrigue steams from having a connection with her.
There are some issues that hold this one back from being truly great. First off, while the film does a decent job at addressing the issue of social media and influencers, you cannot help but think this is all just surface level stuff and lacks the nuance to really give weight to the narrative. While yes, the character of Madison is given more depth, but ultimately it condemns her for using her beauty and agency to make money. It also sucks that this falls back on the “catty gay best friend” trope which honestly is so terribly outdated and reductive as hell. It’s the kind of cringe that takes you out of the otherwise cleverly written film. The film also races towards the finale, and in doing so loses some opportunities for tension and character development. Still, the ending is so damn satisfying that it’s easy to gloss over some missteps.
Despite some plotting issues, Influencer is a taut and engaging thriller that earns a “Like.”
Influencer will be available to stream on Shudder starting May 26, 2023.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=max4YbL3idk]
Despite some plotting issues, Influencer is a taut and engaging thriller that earns a "Like."
-
GVN Rating 7
-
User Ratings (0 Votes)
0
Big film nerd and TCM Obsessed. Author of The Ultimate Guide to Strange Cinema from Schiffer Publishing. Resume includes: AMC’s The Bite, Scream Magazine etc. Love all kinds of movies and television and have interviewed a wide range of actors, writers, producers and directors. I currently am a regular co-host on the podcast The Humanoids from the Deep Dive and have a second book in the works from Bear Manor.