Influencer (2022)

My quick rating - 5.5/10. Influencer starts off with a promising setting and a familiar yet engaging storyline. The plot lacks novelty, but the film engages us with decent acting and great landscapes. It sets the base and gives a good kick-off on what is to come.

The story revolves around Madison (Emily Tennant), an influencer, who goes on an adventurous trip to Thailand as a solo backpacker. She faces various experiences during her trip, among them meeting CW (Cassandra Naud), an adventurous and successful wanderer. She introduces Madison to the more adventurous side of life, forcing her to test her boundaries more seriously than she would have initially. On the other hand, the intended focus on Madison is accompanied by a cloud of adverse effects as the movie progresses. One of the greatest strengths of this movie is its use of good acting performances. The actors manage to bring their characters to life, injecting a sense of authenticity into their roles. Without that, there would've been no believability in the rest of the story. Moreover, Influencer has taken full use of its exotic setting in Thailand and has shown breathtaking views of such beautiful scenery to immerse us in their beauty through visuals of exotic locations that could be much more interesting than what these girls are indulging in. Unfortunately, despite its initial promise, I found it falters towards the end. The plot becomes predictable, following a path that had to be the easiest way out of using any creativity. Saying the climax and resolution fall short of delivering a satisfying conclusion is a massive understatement. The film totally fails to capitalize on the potential it had established, leaving me a bit pissed since I saw plenty of good. Overall, the flick presents a mixed bag of strengths and weaknesses. While it starts strongly with decent acting and captivating visuals, it eventually taps out to a predictable and unsatisfying conclusion. Despite that, the movie may still appeal to those of you who appreciate picturesque scenery and competent performances. However, for those seeking a truly memorable flick to choose from your streamer of choice, I thought this fell well short of its potential. Had it done almost anything but what it did for the second half, I would've been far more impressed, but writer/director Kurtis David Harder just played things a bit too safe in my opinion.

Being a Shudder flick, you can check it out on a few freebies along with paid streamers.

Influencer (2022)

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