2023 was a good year for horror films starting with the letters “Inf” and involving travelers who have their passports stolen. “Infinity Pool” got more attention, but I like “Influencer” (Shudder) a bit more. Canadian director/co-writer Kurtis David Harder taps into modern fears about travel and control of your online identity, plus plain ole desperate survival.
He also has potential solutions to these problems, making “Influencer” into an engaging puzzle as well. Plus, the narrative shifts points of view, giving a viewer more to chew on regarding the theme of identity.
Twists and turns in paradise
Even before the opening credits, we get what’s essentially a gripping 25-minute short film. Social-media influencer Madison (Emily Tennant) is promoting various products while in Thailand, plus the vacation spot itself. The thin line between vacation and work suggests she has a dream job, but when the video and still cameras are off, she looks physically and psychologically bedraggled.
“Influencer” (2023)
Director: Kurtis David Harder
Writers: Tesh Guttikonda, Kurtis David Harder
Stars: Emily Tennant, Rory J Saper, Cassandra Naud
Local resident CW (Cassandra Naud, the film’s breakout star) befriends Madison, and if you’ve seen any other horror movie, you’ll know this is too good to be true. But rest assured that Harder and co-writer Tesh Guttikonda have more tricks up their sleeves.
Also taking a turn in a lead role for a while is Ryan (Rory J Saper), who seems to be an influencer coach of sorts. Though he doesn’t make a great first impression – chewing out girlfriend Madison for having her passport stolen, as if that’s her fault – he becomes the audience surrogate.
Ryan is a good Everyman sleuth – not overly smart but not dumb, either. He recognizes when things don’t quite add up. As the narrative switches to the “howcatchem” format, he pursues those leads with technological aplomb befitting a young person who understands the art of influencing people via still and moving images.
“Influencer” is shot in the tourist-friendly parts of Thailand, and dialog tells us the characters should be happy because they’re in one of the most beautiful spots in the world. They aren’t – both before and during the intense events. But it is a nice backdrop.
Does it add up? That’s up to the viewer
The film is thoroughly engrossing on one viewing, and paced quickly enough that we can’t stop and think if all the plot holes are filled in.
A couple things keep it from elite marks. For one, the field of influencing is ripe for parody, and “Influencer” doesn’t quite want to go there. When we see signs of the riches of Ryan and Madison – plus another uber-influencer, Sara Canning’s Jessica – I’m not sure if it’s parody or truth. I suppose the world’s elite influencers are indeed rich, though.
Second, while Harder and Guttikonda stay on the fair side of plausibility amid the twists, one key event is underexplained to the point where I could’ve used a little explanation. That’s often an issue with new horror films.
They exist in the age of over-explained franchise storytelling rife with prequels and sequels, but they are influenced by horror classics that know precisely what to reveal and what to hide. “Influencer” holds back slightly too much, in my opinion, though it might be perfectly calibrated for other viewers.
I don’t think “Influencer” has quite enough depth to be a classic, but it is really good at, well, influencing me to watch it and become interested in future products from Harder and Guttikonda. That’s the most basic achievement of a movie, perhaps. But with images and videos popping up all over nowadays to try to steal our attention, holding mine for 92 minutes is nothing to sneeze at.