Taking pictures fish in a barrel has a modern-day equal – mocking social media influencers.
Collect a thin-skinned group of Instagram addicts and the social satire virtually writes itself. Assume current movies like “Dashcam,” “Spree,” “Superhost” and “Tragedy Ladies.”
The “Influencers” franchise raises the stakes on a really Twenty first-century style.
It helps that the sequence’ villain is not like any film monster we’ve seen earlier than. And the second movie within the saga, set to display Oct. 5 on the Pittsburgh Shifting Image Pageant, provides an A.I. twist that’s brutal and, sure, bittersweet.
Watch an unique clip from Kurtis David Tougher’s Influencers
The movie may have its world premiere on the Fantasia Movie Pageant on July 26 and launch on Shudder later this 12 months. pic.twitter.com/iaVeBAAyj6
— Letterboxd (@letterboxd) July 21, 2025
She’s ba-ack! The deadly Catherine (Cassandra Naud) AKA CW has discovered love with a enjoyable and flirty French girl named Diane (Lisa Delamar). The smitten kittens run right into a glamorous journey influencer named Charlotte (“Barbarian’s” Georgina Campbell), and Catherine’s previous impulses stand up anew.
That’s not all.
Madison (Emily Tennant), who was fortunate sufficient to outlive a CW encounter final time, is again and making an attempt to carry her to justice.
Add a dude-bro influencer (Jonathan Whitesell) and his alpha girlfriend Ariana (Veronica Lengthy) and this sequel has some fascinating characters to maintain the franchise buzzing.
Author/director Kurtis David Tougher isn’t working with an enormous studio finances, however each movies look magnificent. The opulent settings have a definitive “White Lotus” vibe, although “Influencers” is way extra satisfying than that present’s third season.
Sorry not sorry.
Even higher? Tougher incorporates parts of A.I. that weren’t believable when the unique movie first hit streaming providers. No spoilers right here, however the A.I. in query provides stunning depth to CW whereas pushing the story ahead.
This can be a horror movie, and also you’ll have to just accept a number of the digital methods CW pulls to maintain her deadly life-style in play. The screenplay presents simply sufficient plausibility to make all of it work.
That’s the key sauce that powers the higher B-movies.
INFLUENCER filmmaker Kurtis David Tougher is again with INFLUENCERS. Cassandra Naud returns to star reverse BARBARIAN’s Georgina Campbell.
Set in southern France, a younger girl’s chilling fascination with homicide and identification theft sends her life right into a whirlwind of chaos. pic.twitter.com/UVzoHllYUY
— Bloody Disgusting (@BDisgusting) Might 6, 2025
The remainder is as much as Naud, who downplays her character’s villainy to grand impact. She’s quiet and decided, unwilling to present her opponents an inch. She’s as merciless as Jason and Freddy however twice as beguiling.
That method makes “Influencers” matter. Ham it up, and this saga wouldn’t be the identical.
The sequel presents a gentle tweak of conservative podcasters, however these parts are delicately assembled and by no means really feel like a lecture. They make the story richer.
“Influencers” requires a dab of persistence. The kills aren’t as frequent as in most horror movies, and it takes some time for all of the chess items to get to their essential spots.
That leaves a wild third act that makes all of it worthwhile.
NOTE: “Influencers” is screening on the Pittsburgh Shifting Image Pageant Oct. 5 and is tentatively slated for a late 2025 Shudder launch.
HiT or Miss: “Influencers” isn’t only a sturdy, superior sequel. It’s a glimpse at what A.I. parts can do for the horror style.