«Influencer» - Movie Review by Kinoafisha
Influencers fall under the influence of a strange girl.
Madison leads a classic life as a travel blogger and influencer, with all that entails. This means sharing her selfies against every landmark and filming videos for her followers with the latest nuggets of wisdom. And of course, she can't just eat a beautiful dish without taking the perfect photo first. The latest stop on her never-ending journey is Thailand, where Madison was supposed to go on a week-long romantic tour with her boyfriend. However, he couldn't join her, so the blogger finds herself feeling lonely on the trip, while still ensuring she posts daily positive content for her faithful followers.
One evening at the hotel bar, after a couple of selfies and an encounter with a man in sunglasses who tried to strike up a conversation with Madison, a brunette with a prominent birthmark on her face suddenly saves her from an unpleasant conversation and takes her home. From this incident, Madison forms a bond with the mysterious stranger. Together, they visit beautiful places, sail on a yacht, try local cuisine, and have fun at a villa. Then CW, as the newfound friend is called, surprises Madison by taking her on a motorboat to a deserted island, where she intoxicates her with wine laced with a sleeping draught. She leaves Madison there alone, at the mercy of the island, while she steals her life.
"Influencer" is the latest film by young Canadian director Curtis David Harder, who initially made commercials for humanitarian organizations before switching to horror movies. He directed "Spiral" and "Out of Control," and now he has released a horror film about influencers. The film has received major awards at horror film festivals, including the American Nightmares Film Festival and the Canadian Blood in the Snow. In addition, "Influencer" has been nominated for the Slamdance Film Festival award for Best Screenplay.
It is worth mentioning right away that the film, advertised as a horror, is not really one. It is more of a thriller with short intense scenes that are not overly terrifying. An influencer, that is, a person who has the ability to influence the behavior and opinions of others. On one hand, it is about those influencers from the forbidden social network who dictate trends and share their life philosophy. For Madison, it means traveling the world and finding new friends in different countries, because "if the world is a book, then those who do not travel have only read one page." On the other hand, the true influencer in the film is neither the first nor the second of the two sweet blondes who become victims of deceit. In actuality, only CW influences people's lives, deftly manipulating them and easily disposing of the lives of bloggers, trying to prove to them that they are ultimately insignificant.
But the film is good because everything in it turns out to be one big island of illusions. Madison, outgoing and open on social media, in real life often feels sad and lonely. The blogger, who appears silly and helpless on the outside, is actually a brave Girl Scout with good survival skills. Ryan, who appears indifferent on video calls, actually cares about the girl. CW, who thinks she knows everything about people, is mistaken in believing that solo female travelers are not needed by anyone. The sociopath, who meticulously plans her actions, actually ignores crucial details. And all of this is presented in the film to convey a known truth to the viewers: our opinion of a person and their social media profile is all an illusion.
Interestingly, influencers in the film are repeatedly referred to as unique. It is thanks to this compliment that Ryan was able to charm Madison on their first date and convince her to become a blogger. Although the film fails to convince viewers of the uniqueness of the girl posing with a bear in a photo. To Madison, the man she meets in a bar is no different from others, they are all the same. Only CW stands out due to her extraordinary appearance. And of course, this role turned out to be bright and interesting thanks to the charisma and acting potential of Cassandra Nod. The motives of her character, however, can only be guessed.
The film is muddled in its moral conclusions. It's unclear whether it wants to scare bloggers who expose their lives, as it turns out that sharing photos of one's face on social media can be dangerous. Or maybe it wants to mock those who post everything indiscriminately. Or to show that female influencers are not so foolish and are capable of standing up for themselves. Or to frighten us with the realization that followers may not notice substitutions if manipulated photos and videos regularly appear on their feed, processed with specialized software. Or perhaps to highlight the ease of creating deepfakes. Perhaps it's all of these ideas combined.
"Influencer" is a kind of horrifying version of "Triangle of Sadness," showcasing how easily one can present oneself as a different person with today's technology. The film gradually builds momentum, displaying inventive shots, including one where the camera crawls through the sand towards a peacefully sleeping, unsuspecting Madison, who is about to be left alone on the island. The film is like a social media post that comes to life, stripped of all filters, shattering our expectations, offering a cruel and insightful view of our dependence on online life.
