Film Review: Influencers (2025) - When Living a Lie Makes You Lose Your Own Identity

 

Influencers | 2025 | 1h 50m
Genre: Psychological Thriller/Horror/Thriller | Country: Canada-US
Director: Kurtis David Harder | Writer: Kurtis David Harder
Cast: Veronica Long, Cassandra Naud, Emily Tennant
IMDb: 5.9
My Rate: 6/10

CW tries to live her new life with Diane. However, her past slowly begins to catch up with her, pulling her back into the cycle she has tried so hard to escape, especially when Madison returns seeking revenge.

Warning:

Violence, nudity, sexual content, drugs, alcohol, and smoking.

 

Synopsis:

CW starts a new life in France with her girlfriend, Diane. Their life is filled with love and laughter, as if the past has truly been left behind. However, everything changes when an influencer crosses paths with them during their vacation.

CW falls back into the dark world she has been trying to leave behind. She kills the influencer and takes over her life. Meanwhile, Madison continues to face public judgment from people who refuse to believe the story she has been telling. The trauma left behind by CW causes Madison to distance herself from the world that once made her famous.

However, secrets can never stay hidden forever. Diane begins to notice the strange things about CW, while Madison slowly finds the courage to come out of hiding and confront her past. These two situations gradually threaten the new life that CW has worked so hard to build.

Will all the lies CW has created finally be exposed?

 

Review:

Imagine living a life built entirely on lies until you slowly lose your own identity. That is exactly the life CW lives in Influencers (2025). This film serves as the answer to the question-filled ending left behind by Influencer (2022). While the first film focused on identity theft, this sequel shifts its attention to the consequences that follow.

The first third of the film tries to rebuild the foundation of the story. Unfortunately, this approach ends up creating some confusion. At first, the film seems to guide the audience into believing that this is a prequel that will explain the reasons behind CW's actions or the trauma that shaped her views on influencers. However, that direction never truly materializes.

That impression begins to fall apart when several clues connected to Thailand start appearing. Unfortunately, the film still never explains how CW managed to leave Thailand after everything that happened in the previous movie. This fairly important question feels as though it is simply ignored by the writer.

Compared to Influencer (2022), CW's internal conflict feels much stronger here. Her relationship with Diane gradually falls apart, her hidden past slowly comes to light, and Madison's return destroys the new life CW has worked so hard to build. Together, these conflicts reveal CW's vulnerable side—a crack in the manipulative character who once seemed almost flawless.

Unfortunately, the ending fails to maintain that same quality. Unlike the first film, which still felt satisfying despite its open ending, this sequel ends in a much more absurd and directionless way. CW's personality, which had previously been built so carefully, suddenly becomes inconsistent. In several moments, she feels more awkward than the calculating manipulative killer audiences came to know. Even so, Madison's conclusion still provides a satisfying ending to her character's journey.

Overall, this sequel still falls short of the first film. The strong psychological thriller atmosphere that made Influencer (2022) so engaging slowly fades as the story becomes increasingly difficult to believe. Some characters also seem forced to make irrational decisions simply to keep the plot moving forward. CW's intimidating presence also gradually disappears from the middle of the film onward. Even the final confrontation, which should have been the climax, feels underwhelming and not particularly natural.

Even so, the film still has several technical strengths. The camera work, transitions, and editing are all handled quite well. The audience is also treated to beautiful scenery through wide shots that showcase each location to its fullest.

The performances from the cast are also not particularly remarkable. Some of the dialogue and character behavior occasionally feel unrealistic. However, that does not necessarily mean people like these could never exist in real life. Not everyone lives according to the ideal standards we often imagine.

The film also takes place in several locations, including Paris and Bali, Indonesia. Unfortunately, the way life in Bali is portrayed feels less convincing. The characters seem able to move around freely without facing the usual limitations that come with being in a foreign country. Even their access to private residences feels far too easy, which slightly weakens the story's credibility.

In the end, Influencers (2025) tries to show that a life built on lies can never truly bring peace. Unfortunately, that idea is not always supported by consistent writing, leaving much of its potential unexplored. While it never surpasses the quality of the first film, Influencers still serves as a fairly decent conclusion to CW and Madison's story, while reminding us that identities may be stolen, but the consequences of our actions will always find their way back.

 
Memorable Scene:

One of the most memorable scenes is when Madison chooses to come out of hiding after spending so long avoiding the public's judgment, believing that no one would ever believe the trauma she experienced. It is never easy to prove the truth when the whole world seems convinced that you are the one who is wrong. Her decision to stop hiding is what makes this scene so powerful.

In reality, many people feel that the world is more confident in judging their lives than they are themselves. Eventually, the exhaustion of constantly having to explain the truth causes some people to disappear from public view. Yet sometimes, finding the courage to face everything again becomes the first step toward reclaiming the life that was taken from them.

 

Memorable Dialogue:

"We've all done things we didn't like."

 
Ending:

Open Ending

 
Recommendation:

Okay to Watch

(Aluna Uwie)