'Influencers' Review: A Worthy Sequel That Trips Over Its Own Ambition - Fantasia 2025
- Becca Johnson
- Jul 28
- 3 min read
By Becca Johnson - July 28, 2025
Back in 2023, director Kurtis David Harder’s film Influencer took the indie horror/thriller world by storm, gaining an audience from strong word of mouth. The twisted story followed CW (Cassandra Naud), whose interest in solo traveller and social media influencer Madison (Emily Tennant) takes a dark and sinister turn. Just two years later we have a much anticipated sequel, again helmed by Harder with Naud back in the leading role.
What is 'Infleuncers' about?
This time around, the story takes us to Southern France, where a young woman’s chilling fascination with murder and identity theft sends her life into a whirlwind of chaos.
Just as competently acted as the first instalment but convoluting what was once a straightforward, digestible thriller, Influencers has some great ideas and even better visuals, but bites off more than it can chew with a messy narrative.
Cassandra Naud really put herself on the map with her turn as CW back in Influencer, and her performance here is just as good. She nails both sides of her character, whether it be the unhinged knife-wielding murderer or the sugar sweet pretty girl who can convince you she’s the one in danger. It would be great to see her in further horror roles alongside this and It’s a Wonderful Knife, because she clearly has a knack for it. Horror royalty Georgina Campbell (Barbarian) also stars alongside her, and despite having minimal screen time, she is simply magnetic. Playing an influencer who visits locations and shows her distaste in person whilst telling the internet how ‘pretty’ they are is certainly something new for Campbell, and she’s entirely believable. Lisa Delamar (Survive) and Jonathan Whitesell (Bad Times at the El Royale) also offer notable performances.
Stylistically, Influencers is just as strong as its predecessor. Taking us to the most beautiful locations around the world and knowing exactly how to show them off, the movie becomes a perfect watch for the summer with its sun kissed cinematography and bright feelings of warmth and vacation. Bali and France have never looked more picturesque, and our main character doesn’t skimp out on where she stays, either. The soundtrack and original score both compliment this well, offering bouncy pop beats that match the party, solo back-packing culture it’s going for to a tee. The aesthetic and vibe of the movie works well to draw you in and put you at ease, which makes for a successful juxtaposition with the twisty, thrilling and violent nature of the plot. It works as a holiday advert as much as it does a word of warning.
The plot starts out very strong, showing us a different side to CW that we didn’t see in Influencer. With a stunning girlfriend named Diane on her arm and a genuine smile on her face, it’s easy to believe that she’s moved past her heinous ways. However, a trip to a local French hotel where they meet an aggravating influencer is all it takes to set CW off again.
With no title card until almost half an hour in and a really strong first act, Influencers puts its best foot forward… but unfortunately walks backwards rather than forwards. Prior characters from the first installment are re-introduced, many plot points start coming into play and by the time we reach the third act, everything feels rather convoluted. In turn, this over-inflates the run-time, delivering a nearly two hour flick that overstays its welcome. Though it does provide a killer third act that is worth the wait, the journey to get there often feels messy. Influencer felt quite succinct, straightforward and digestible, whereas its sequel overstuffs itself.
Does 'Influencers' hold up as a sequel?
Fans of the first movie will undoubtedly find something within this sequel to like, whether its another killer performance from Cassandra Naud, picturesque visuals or entertaining violence and kills. Although the narrative is too complicated for its own good, and bogs viewers down with a lengthy run-time and a few too many ideas, it’s still a story worth delving into, especially during summer.
'Influencers' played at Fantasia Film Festival 2025
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