Influencers (2025) Review

Influencers: The Players

• Cassandra Naud (CW)
  Known for: Influencer (2022)
  Hacker, breaking & entering specialist, and all around badass sociopath.

• Emily Tennant (Madison)
  Known for: Influencer (2022)
  Ex-social media influencer turned dogged investigator trying to get her life back.

• Jonathan Whitesell (Jacob)
  Known for: TV’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2020)
  Manosphere knucklehead and generally unlikable privileged white guy.

• Lisa Delamar (Diane)
  Known for: Survive (2024)
  CW’s girlfriend, positive influence, and genuine ray of sunshine.

• Georgina Campbell (Charlotte)
  Known for: Barbarian (2022)
  Social media influencer who inserts herself into CW & Diane’s anniversary resort weekend. Probably not the wisest choice.

Synopsis

Cassandra Naud and Emily Tennant reprise their roles from 2022’s Influencer, but this time all the cards are on the table. While CW and Madison hunt and scheme against each other, can a new batch of vapid influencers survive being in CW’s crosshairs?

Production

Shot in absolutely gorgeous locations in France and Indonesia, including a return to at least one from the first film, Influencers is a visual feast. From castle ruins to tree-top bungalows to the quaint streets of southern France, it’s like a tension-filled travelogue. That contrast is the movie’s secret sauce: postcard beauty while something predatory paces behind it.

Composer Avery Kentis returns with yet another fantastic score that hits all the right notes and subtly accentuates each and every scene. It’s not trying to be the star. It’s meandering through the quiet moments so the tension never fully leaves the room.

Pacing can be a bit uneven in places, but once things get rolling there’s no stopping the runaway train. The madness and mayhem of the last 20 minutes are a joyous payoff; the kind that makes you forgive the earlier “setting the table.”

Cast and Story

Influencers is a direct sequel to its predecessor Influencer (2022). As in, if you haven’t seen the 2022 film, stop what you’re doing and go watch that first. From the main characters to countless references and a couple on-screen locations, the two films are inextricably linked. While the original is the weaker of the two, you’ll get a lot more out of Influencers if you have all the background knowledge.

The new film does a nearly perfect job of tying up all the loose ends. Not only story threads introduced in this latest outing, but also those left hanging in the previous film. Nearly perfect. Given how many times the biggest missing detail from the first film is hauled out and paraded in front of the audience, it’s safe to say the Influencers filmmakers enjoy making us completionists squirm.

The performances in Influencers are all stellar but, as usual, Cassandra Naud steals every scene she’s in. This is especially evident during the uncomfortable dinner scene between CW (Naud), Diane (Lisa Delamar), and Charlotte (Georgina Campbell). Nonverbal communication for the win! Also great to see Emily Tennant reprising her role as Madison with a bit more of a predator’s edge. She’s finally stopped reacting and started hunting.

Story-wise, Influencers is well thought out and excellently constructed. There are a number of related storylines, flashbacks, and revealed secrets that all converge at the right time for a satisfyingly splattery finale. Dialog in the film stays true to each character and while it’s obvious Cassandra Naud is the script’s favorite, there aren’t any half-hearted characters to be found.

Summary

Influencers was a late release in 2025 (December 12, streaming) for those of us who didn’t manage to catch it at a festival. If you overlooked it like I did, do yourself a favor and give it a look-see. Just be sure to watch the two movies in order. You’ll be glad you did!

Availability: Influencer (2022) is currently streaming on Netflix. Both movies are available via Shudder and Amazon streaming services.