Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Influencer’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

One thing that we can all agree upon, is that social media has transformed our modern world. Now whether that is for better or for worse… remains up for debate. Because it really has brought forth quite the mixed bag for humanity. After all, on the one hand, we are more connected than ever because of it, and that’s allowed for us to rediscover old friends and brought forth friendships and relationships with people we never would have known without it. Not to mention, it has given people new paths from a career standpoint to pursue. Since now influencers and bloggers can be heard and seen and do what they love without giving it a second thought. But on the other hand, well… social media has brought forth a lot of strife.
​
Because it means that everyone can be heard, so dark voices join the good ones and spew their hate. Not to mention, it has helped to give rise to ugly aspects of our world we thought were long gone, such as racism, and of course… there are marginalized individuals that have become influencers that abuse their new status in the limelight. Plus, this has also given rise to something new and vicious, specifically people that want to go viral and taste that fame and they’ll do horrible things to get it. Such as stage certain scenarios to gain that clout and hurt others to grab hold of it, and that does leave us to wonder… just how far people with that mindset are going to take their quest for fame, and it just so happens that a brand-new horror film on Shudder, answers that question in a harrowing manner in Influencer.

A feat that this story accomplishes by transporting us to Thailand where an influencer named Madison is struggling with her life away from her social media feeds. For this was supposed to be a romantic getaway with her boyfriend, Ryan, and he didn’t show. Leaving her to just putter about and ponder upon the nature of her career and her life. But thankfully, she doesn’t have to spend all of her time on vacation with her thoughts. For she manages to befriend a woman named CW, that helps Madison to just clear her head and worry less about the troubles that life sends her way, and truly CW offers Madison the comfort and direction she needs in this moment, but at quite the price. For CW has no noble intentions in her heart regarding Madison, in fact… their friendship is nothing more than a ruse to get CW what she wants from the influencer she’s been watching from afar for some time now. 

---

Which at first glance, appears to be a plot that is focused more so on the current climate regarding social media. Since so many people are now turning their back on the influencer concept and what it stands for. Something that is reinforced here by some choice and snarky comments from CW regarding Madison’s career choice and life choices. But soon, it becomes clear that this is indeed a worst-case scenario story. One that informs us that if given the right resources and the right opportunity, someone would gladly cross every line imaginable to get their hands on what an influencer has and enjoy those spoils and the anonymity that could accompany entering this world, as CW does here. Which brings forth a very dark story, one that explores our sometimes-unhealthy obsession with fame and how some crave it but will do minimal work to get it. 
​
But while this story presents us with a horrifying vision of how far one might go, it has a lot more to offer from a commentary perspective. Such as our sometimes-unhealthy relationship with social media. Since we treat each post as gospel and as though those on the screen are truly happy and living their best life. When in fact, it is a curated post to garner engagement and likes, and what is behind the image is what matters more. Because that’s what that person really is all about, which brings forth some fascinating duality in this motion picture. The kind that showcases how people use social media to hide their darkness and somehow think being famous on the web will heal them or make them better people, when it simply will not.

Which are elements that bring forth a non-traditional horror film and that’s quite welcome here. Since it instead explores the horrors of man and of our technology, since there are some unsettling scenes about what technology can accomplish right now to fool us and guide us to engagement goals and well… that all makes for one compelling watch. Simply because we do see quite the underbelly of the social media world here, and it is sold by some phenomenal performance from the cast, and it leaves us with plenty to ponder upon when it comes to our relationship with social media, and how perhaps… we are more in control than we know of preventing the obsessive nature it creates. For if we did the opposite of what we see here and used social media in an honest and sharing manner, and learned to ignore the noise from the unsavory, perhaps those eager to use it to their unwholesome advantage, would stay in the shadows where they belong.

---

Powered by JustWatch