Tag: Rob Grant

INFLUENCERS (2025)

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Written & Directed By: Kurtis David Harder 

Cinematography: David Schuurman 

Editor: Rob Grant 

Cast: Casandra Naud, Emily Tennent, Georgina Campbell, Veronica Long, Lisa Delamar, Jon Whitesell, Dylan Playfair, Liam James Collins, Nalani Wakita 

In Southern France, a young woman’s chilling fascination with murder and identity theft sends her life into a whirlwind of chaos.

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A sequel to the 2022 movie INFLUENCER, I will honestly say I didn’t see coming back for a round two.

At times, the film could easily be seen as a female version of THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY  only less tortured and more about the method less about the past or the characters history. Only lacking the depths or literary origins in history while being more modern.

As both involve main characters constantly having to change their identities and operate in foreign locals and are not above murder to get what they want.

This film is like HOSTEL 2, Where it’s more about the main characters methods and work. Rather than necessarily, adding too much to the game.  As we are still dealing with the main characters from the last film, but throw in a few new characters to complicate things a bit and also level up.

This at a heart is a socially conscious commentary slasher. Where we get the survivors of the last film, facing each other again by the end, in a knockout drag out fight, that feels like it releases all the tension that the film builds up in the first place. Which it seemed to be holding back from until this moment. 

This is a franchise that gets less intricate, but gets bigger with each addition. As this is a proper sequel offering an opening. That is a little bit random and shocking wondering how we got there in the film fits it all in piece by piece.

As we don’t even get the opening credits until 30 minutes into the film. As everything before, it is a kind of where are they now prologue of people from the previous film and how they are continuing their legacy. 

The sequel definitely raises the stakes, but doesn’t make it feel far-fetched or ridiculous.  As it is just as layered and diabolical as our slasher, though not a bit above some exploitative means. 

This is a smart thriller that dabbles in the tawdry, but plays like a chess match. a basic one that rises to the top and goes overboard in the last 15 minutes. 

Where it just ends up being fun where you root for the villain. as well as other characters. it’s kind of like the horror film SMILE, where the first one comes out and it’s in one style and then the sequel comes out, and raises the stakes, as well as the bar. but is just as good if not better than the first film, even though you kind of need the first film to fully understand the stakes in the characters and the situations in full. Then towards the end, just chooses to go off the wall, but it still feels within the realm a reality of the film.

Now, this is a film that Many could get behind it as its victims are usually influencers as a kind of DEATH WISH or FALLING DOWN for the next generation. Is the kind of dark vengeful which fulfillment.

Grade: B 

INFLUENCER (2023)

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Directed By: Kurtis David Harder
Written By: Kurtis David Harder & Tesh Guttikonda 
Cinematography: David Schuurman 
Editor: Rob Grant & Kurtis David Harder 

Cast: Cassandra Naud, Emily Tennant, Sara Canning, Rory J. Saper, Justin Sams, Paul Spurrier 

While struggling on a solo backpacking trip in Thailand, social media influencer Madison meets CW, who travels with ease and shows her a more uninhibited way of living, but CW’s interest in her takes a darker turn.

The film l lives up to its title as everything in this film is pretty yet shallow. 

The film follows a familiar trend when it comes to a lot of thrillers recently involving the internet and revolving around it. Characters who are Influential on Social Media. 

The film is fairly predictable throughout. Despite trying to throw some twists that never amount to Much. Here at least the film tries to humanize the victims.

The film has a glossy Veneer which keeps it visually interesting. As it tries to say something about the shallowness of Social media before branding itself as kind of the same. 

As you only feel sympathy for the first victim and at times her boyfriend but he always seems To remain on the fence about how you should feel about him.

The only trace of originality is that it takes place overseas and that the main actress has a noticeable birthmark on her face.

Though the villains’ motives are never truly explained or revealed. Is she jealous of them?

Does she just want to live in their identities for a bit to see how the other half lives? Is it done for survival? Or is she just a psychopath? 

The film makes everything look good. Even the lead is much sexier than her victims and shows the most skin throughout. Though ever completely and set up a kind of sex scene. That is the most revealing she or the film Gets.

Cassandra Naud gives a believable performance and stays captivating throughout. Hopefully, she gets better material in her future films. 

This is a nice film for those beginning into thrillers or wanting one with not too much violence. So that it feels like a Lifetime Movie but maybe a little bit harder-edged.

Back in my day, we would’ve considered this a CW movie as that channel used to have television shows with very young casts that were model-looking or would have adults playing teenagers and adult situations. Everything in this film is picturesque at times too pretty to be believed. This film seems to want to showcase the darkness that runs underneath all that shines.

Grade: C –