Am I alone in thinking that influencer culture is super weird? The idea that people invest in the comings and goings of perfect strangers who live seemingly perfect lives on social media gives me the creeps. No one is actually that perfect. No one.
It seems filmmaker Kurtis David Harder (Spiral 2019) agrees with my assessment. In fact, he co-wrote and directed a horror film about influencer culture that pulls back the curtain and exposes the darker side of living so publicly.
I dig what Harder did with Influencer. It’s a smartly written horror thriller with plenty of twists and turns. I think you may enjoy it as well, dear reader. But I’m not the film’s only fan. Not by a long shot. As it turns out, celebrated director Mike Flanagan is a fellow champion of this dark indie picture. In fact, he was so taken with the flick that he took to Letterboxd to pen a punchy review extolling the picture’s merits. Hooray!
Flanagan’s Letterboxd critique reads: “A very pleasant surprise. Clever, taut thriller with some great performances, particularly Cassandra Naud and Emily Tennant. Kurtis David Harder’s direction is lean, tight, and more than a little bit wicked. Enjoyed it quite a bit.”
The setup for this Mike Flanagan-approved horror thriller goes as follows:
Social media influencer Madison is struggling on a solo backpacking trip in Thailand when she meets CW, who travels with ease and shows her a more uninhibited way of living. However, CW’s interest in her takes a darker turn.
If The Doctor Sleep director’s glowing endorsement of this compelling effort has you keen to experience the flick, you are in luck. Influencer is a Shudder original and is available to stream there indefinitely. I suggest giving it a shot. You’re bound to be surprised by some of the unforeseen developments in store.
If you’re still not convinced, allow me to add that the film is ‘certified fresh’ on Rotten Tomatoes with a critical approval rating of 91%. The site’s critical consensus reads: “Influencer should get plenty of likes from horror fans hungry for a smart, scary chiller with something to say.”
That’s all that we have for you, for the time being. Be sure to stay tuned to Dread Central for more life-improving recommendations from your favorite creators in the genre space as we successfully unearth them. If you’d like to further discuss what makes Influencer essential viewing, come find me on Threads @FunWithHorror.
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