The 2023 horror film “Influencer” on Shudder is a rare gem that delves into the darker aspects of social media, capturing the experience of online worlds with eerie authenticity. Director Kurtis David Harder’s film is a low-budget, scrappy, and delightfully chilling horror flick that moves beyond being a gimmick to explore deeper themes. Wearing its budget on its sleeve, the film takes its time building tension, slowly revealing the cracks in the characters’ online facades.
The story begins with a disquieting overhead shot of an island, slowly revealing a body on the beach. As the pulsating score rises, we flashback to Madison, the titular influencer, who is on a solo trip to Thailand, capturing her experiences for her online audience. However, Madison’s facade begins to crack, and we see her true loneliness and desperation to fit in. Her interactions with fellow traveler CW, played by Cassandra Naud, reveal the cracks in their online personas, escalating the dread as allegiances and perspectives shift.
A Still From Influencer 2023 (Photo: Influencer)
Naud’s masterful performance is mesmerizing and unsettling, capturing the subtle shifts in tone and demeanor as she transitions between different personas. Her performance holds the film together, even when the dialogue rings false or the narrative strains credulity. The film’s pace is deliberate, taking its time to build tension as the characters’ online facades begin to crumble.
The manipulation of personal information and the ease with which someone can impersonate another online are frighteningly realistic, making the subsequent fallout all the more sinister. The film’s climactic turn is bloody yet earned, paying off the patient build-up in a glorious display of chaos. While “Influencer” may not be a perfect film, its authentically creepy contortions make it an entertaining and often thrilling experience.
With Cassandra Naud’s standout performance and a thought-provoking exploration of online deception, “Influencer” is a must-watch for horror fans on Shudder. The film’s ability to authentically capture the experience of online worlds makes it a chilling portrayal of the darker aspects of social media.
