Review: The Influencer

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

The Influencer
Directed by Meghan Weinstein
Wizard Cats; Daisy Eagle Films;
Meghan Weinstein Films; Breaking Glass Pictures
80 minutes, 2019 / 2021
www.facebook.com/theinfluencermovie

There is an old Media Theory that states that when a technology is added to a culture, it does not just become part of it, it changes everything. Social media is the recent elephant in the room. Influencers started, arguably, with the likes of no-talents (my opinion) like Paris Hilton, and then exploded with the horrendous (again, my opinion) Kardashian family, who made billions of dollars for essentially doing nothing but saying they like something, or showing up at a party for a fee.

While Facebook (and before that Myspace) was the launching pad for many, other platforms such as Instagram and now TikTok has managed to make stars and produce fortunes for people who, essentially, really do not matter, but millions of followers hang on their every word or deed (and, often, dance). That is where this film starts.

Kasia Szarek

In this dramedy, Abbi Rose (Kasia Szarek) is just such an “influencer.” She is chubby, busty, perky on the outside, and vain about herself and “her brand”; she has a huge photo of herself over her couch, for example. And much like Kim, Khloe, and Kourtney, et. al, after nearly a decade of vlogging, Abbi has 1.3 million subscribers that tune into her every video and pays attention to whatever products she can get for free and promote.

The flip side to Abbi is a conniving, abusive person who is nasty to her unpaid interns who actually produce all her online product, as she wheedles a tremendous payload from a major corporation, Nutrocon, through ruthless negotiations. This is a company that, one of its many octopus operations, experiments on animals for cosmetics. As Abbi’s favorite clothing is fur, this does not pose a problem as long as there is enough cash involved. And the poor interns are just going to see more sandwiches for food rather than pay. This includes new gushing intern Trendygirl99 (Thea Cantos), who Abbi pretty much snubs at all times, not even trying to remember her name.

Janiva Zentz

Act two starts with a bang as the home invasion part of the story begins, with four people (named by a numeral, seemingly a nod to Tarantino’s 1992 Reservoir Dogs), numbered two through five; I am going to guess who is One, and though I will not reveal it, I’ll let you know further on if I was correct. Meanwhile, these masked (at least at first) renegades are subversives on different levels, such as Two (Janiva Zentz), who is a hacker screwed out of a patent, Five (Ian Richard Jones), a chemist who made a meth-substitute to make a living, and Four (Victoria D. Wells), an aggressive sexual-harassment whistleblower on (literal) steroids. They each have a bone to pick with corporate America but are also flawed in their own ways. Luckily, we are given time to get to know their personalities a bit.

This group of kidnappers seem to mostly not know each other outside of, as one refers to it, this assignment. This seems like a twisted-PETA kind of action, such as the motif of releasing lab animals, especially with the philosophy of Three (Shantell Yasmine Abeyderra). But there is something else on their minds

Victoria D. Wells

Thing is, Abbi is way more media savvy than the interlopers, making for an interesting back and forth between them. In their own ways, each group/person has their own power over the others, and that plays back and forth in effective ways. And, without giving anything away, things naturally go sideways between the inter-relational dynamic of the group. Add in some unexpected hitches and visits, and the tension (and humor) builds into the third act.

Of course, this is going to be life changing for everyone involved, but will it be for the positive or negative (or both)? Yeah, again, not going to tell, but it is certainly satisfying. There is a bit of social justice preaching done, but it is not a slamming on the head, but rather well worked into the plot. A more subtle message is definitely women power, as the few males involved in the story are, to put it nicely, jerks. Even with their flaws, the women are strong and confident in their roles in the storyline.

Ian Richard Jones

This film looks beautiful with tons of pastel colors, even with the ever-rising tension level. The photography (by Christiana Charalambous) and editing are superb, and keeps on beat with the background music quite well. This is Weinstein’s first feature (after a number of shorts and tv directorial work), and shows an incredible amount of talent, especially for the budget. The screen is filled with lots of bright colors and flashes of upbeat instrumental soundtrack that occasionally hides the sometimes nasty undertones of Abbi and her kidnappers.

Shantell Yasmine Abeyderra

As for the acting, well, this is an experienced troupe, and Weinstein leads them to do their best successfully. Plus, Szarek has years of professional comic acting under her belt, and she uses that background to her advantage, making Abbi at times both a repulsive personality, and a sympathetic heroine. This is definitely her film, though just about everyone else is not far behind.

The pace is pretty consistent with very little “lull” time, so it is quick paced, (as I said) like beats to music.

Oh, and despite a number of red herrings, I was right about the identity of One, the leader of the house invasion group. So there.