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“Everything about this smells of a cheap TV movie,” remarks a cynical commentator midway through the chilling follow-up Influencers. In the moment, his tone is dismissive in a calculated way toward an interviewee with an outlandish story he previously claimed he believed. Yet his description of what’s happening on screen isn’t wrong. Superficially, a pair of films on demand chronicling a young woman who worms her way into the worlds of social media stars before killing them seems like a modern-day version of a tawdry yet network-approved weekly TV movie. The wild thing about Influencers remains just how superior it is than plenty of the competition, regardless of screen size. It is precisely the suspense film that should give other movies a serious bout of FOMO.

Revisiting the Original and Establishing the Scene

2022’s Influencer tracks the enigmatic CW (Cassandra Naud) while she quietly chooses traveling alone influencer targets, entices them to their deaths, and covers up those deaths (for a time) by seizing control of their socials. The movie leaves off (spoiler ahead) with CW marooned on a deserted island near the coast of Thailand, after her most recent mark, Madison (Emily Tennant), turns the tables against her.

This lends 2025's Influencers a degree of ambiguity, as returning writer-director the director picks up with the character CW contentedly residing alongside her partner Diane (Lisa Delamar) in Paris. On a journey marking their one-year anniversary, British influencer Charlotte (Georgina Campbell) catches CW’s eye and ire.

CW comments to her partner that a person ought to attempt stranding a phone-addicted online personality in a place with no technology and see whether they can make it. Is this an origin-story prequel? Was CW radicalized by seeing the special treatment afforded a single fame-seeker?

Evolving Viewpoints and International Chases

The narrative viewpoint changes multiple times, ultimately revealing those introductory moments' place in the timeline. Harder catches up with Madison, now exonerated for committing CW’s crimes, but still faces suspicion over her recounting of what happened, including the murder of Madison’s boyfriend. We also follow Jacob (Jonathan Whitesell), based in Bali attempting to boost his profile as part of a conservative-influencer duo alongside Ariana (Veronica Long), although his preferred medium involves masculine-focused livestreams, as opposed to the curated images that typically capture CW’s attention.

The actor continues to be terrifically magnetic in her role, a role that appears especially custom-fit for her talents. (She also designed CW's striking wardrobe.) Although the sequel’s focus tips heavily toward CW — the first film felt more equally divided between the two women — it still functions as a tale of rival investigators, as Madison and CW both use fabricated profiles, social media surveillance, and a seemingly limitless travel fund to chase or evade one another. Then again, perhaps the unlimited budget isn’t necessary. Influencers have a talent for gaining access to posh places without paying much, an ability that CW echoes through her more blatant scheming.

Ingenious Filmmaking and Visual Wanderlust

The filmmakers behind Influencers appear equally ingenious about finding stunning locations to film, though they were likely more legitimate in their methods. The vast majority of the movie seems to be filmed in real places, giving it a real-world weight that remains even as many scenes consist of a relatively small cast of people staring at digital devices.

It follows the same logic which allowed the Bond franchise look so persistently lavish over the years: Yes, explosive action and visual effects can show off a big budget, but simply offering a travelogue of sorts for the audience also seems inherently cinematic. It’s also particularly appropriate for a story so rooted in the coexisting superficial glamour and try-hard grind of creating jealousy-worthy online content.

All of the characters visiting Bali, like those staying in Thailand in the original, appear to enjoy access to unbelievably stylish contemporary villas; there are movies about lifeguards that don’t show off as much aerial pool footage. These individuals have to convincingly inhabit these luxurious, remote places to emphasize the uneasy irony of how frequently each person — even the woman exacting revenge on the influencers’ narcissistic falseness — nonetheless spends plenty of time in the glow of their screens.

Nuanced Portrayals and Tech-Savvy Tension

Simultaneously, Harder hasn’t authored a screed targeting the emptiness of online fame. Though it is satisfying to see CW manipulate various online personalities, and a sense reminiscent of Hitchcock of identification lets us to wish she evades capture, Harder is relatively understanding of the key influencer figures. Previously, he tapped into the loneliness Madison felt during supposedly envy-worthy vacations. In this film, Harder seems to trust that merely watching Jacob at work will make it clear that he’s peddling false masculinity to other gullible men; he resists turning into a caricature the character. He even gives Jacob a measure of dignity through depicting his genuine loyalty to his girlfriend; he’s a hypocrite, yet Ariana is a partner in his hypocrisy, not a victim of it.

The flip side of this balanced approach is that it may occasionally seem as if he’s nodding at elements of contemporary digital culture without investigating them. This is especially true of the way he introduces artificial intelligence into the plot, a fascinating turn that lacks the psychosexual kick it should have. The retitled sequel of Influencers could offer fans of the first movie hope for an Aliens-style escalation, and the film ultimately delivers that, with an appropriately wild final act. However, initially, it’s more like a polished Hitchcock thriller than an frenzied, tech-addled Brian De Palma thriller. Influencers’ extensive use of actual places might also be what prevents it from coming across like utter horror. Our society may be overrun with always-online creators, online fraud, and self-serving tourism, but reality itself is still here, for now.