Influencer (2023)

Influencer turns a sun-drenched Thailand getaway into a sleek, nasty little nightmare about how easily a curated online life can be stolen—and how quickly charm can curdle into menace. Kurtis David Harder directs with a confident, twist-friendly rhythm that keeps shifting your footing, while Cassandra Naud delivers a magnetic performance that’s equal parts inviting and deeply unsettling. The film looks gorgeous even as it tightens the screws, using beaches, boats, and postcard vistas as the perfect camouflage for escalating dread. Fair warning: it’s mean-spirited at times and sharply violent, but if you like smart, modern thrillers that actually do something with their premise, this one sinks its hooks in and doesn’t let go.

Influencer is clearly aiming for a sleek, sun-drenched cautionary tale about how easily a curated online persona can be hijacked, and it does deliver a nasty little thriller engine once the “new friend” dynamic turns predatory. The problem is that the film’s big critique of influencer culture mostly stays on the surface, so if you’re hoping for sharp character depth or meaningful commentary, it can feel vague and a bit hollow. What you’re really getting is a tense cat-and-mouse ride with bursts of brutality and sleaze rather than a thoughtful psychological deep-dive. If you can enjoy it as a lean, nasty vacation-from-hell thriller (with a strong, watchable villain performance), you’ll likely have a better time than viewers expecting something smarter or more layered.