The 2025 psychological thriller Influencers, directed by Kurtis David Harder, is a slick and unsettling sequel that builds on the tension and intrigue of its 2022 predecessor. The movie is set in southern France, where the sun shines brightly. It cleverly looks at the jealousy, obsession, and lies that come with being famous on social media. The first Influencer looked at the dangers of fake online identities and toxic friendships. This sequel goes even deeper, exploring the broken mind of its returning antihero, CW, and the dangerous appeal of the influencer lifestyle.
A New Place, A Known Danger
CW (Cassandra Naud) and her girlfriend Diane are celebrating their anniversary at a fancy French resort at the start of the movie. When a glamorous British influencer named Charlotte (Georgina Campbell) takes over their suite, their romantic getaway takes an unexpected turn. They are moved to a smaller room. When CW’s jealousy and paranoia take over, what starts out as a small annoyance quickly turns into a nightmare. As Charlotte gets closer, CW’s fragile calm starts to break down, starting a chain of events that makes it hard to tell the difference between admiration and obsession.
The sequel uses this simple idea to create a tense, slow-building psychological thriller. The beautiful vacation scenery and the slowly growing threat underneath make you feel uneasy throughout the movie. Harder’s direction shows off the beauty of the French Riviera while also subtly showing how toxic curated perfection can be, both online and off.
Great acting and complicated characters
As CW, Cassandra Naud gives another great performance. Her portrayal of a woman who is torn between her desire for connection and her manipulative instincts is chillingly good. Naud’s face, which can be both delicate and wild, is a perfect fit for a character who is both a victim and a villain. Georgina Campbell, who is known for her roles in Barbarian and Black Mirror, is just as interesting as Charlotte, a seemingly confident influencer who is an easy target because of her own insecurities. There is a lot of chemistry and tension between Naud and Campbell, which makes the movie very suspenseful.
The supporting cast also makes the story more interesting. Diane’s character adds a sense of normalcy and stability to the story, which is different from CW’s unpredictable behavior. Each character embodies an aspect of contemporary identity—authenticity, performance, and the delicate ego that social media nourishes and undermines.
Ideas about identity and image
Influencers (2025) is more than just a thriller; it’s a commentary on society. It looks at the need for approval and the fake closeness that social media creates. CW’s obsession with influencers like Charlotte is like how society has an unhealthy relationship with online personalities. The movie asks in a subtle way: Is it possible for any relationship, romantic or platonic, to be real when everything we share is filtered and performative?
Harder’s script doesn’t preach; instead, it shows the darker sides of digital culture through tension and character study. The place, with its fancy hotels, clean beaches, and perfectly posed selfies, becomes a symbol of the carefully chosen perfection we see every day, which hides the chaos beneath.
Brilliance in Technology
Influencers looks amazing. The cinematography shows off the sun-drenched beauty of France and frames scenes of danger and loneliness with sharp accuracy. The movie’s themes of identity and perception are cleverly linked by the use of mirrors, reflections, and screens. The sound design also makes the experience more immersive, from the rhythmic click of a camera shutter to the creepy silence of a scene where nothing seems quite right.
Harder’s direction strikes a good balance between style and suspense. Influencers doesn’t use jump scares like a lot of thrillers do; instead, it relies on psychological tension. The pacing is slow on purpose, which lets the tension build slowly until it reaches a nerve-wracking climax.
Weaknesses and Final Decision
Influencers (2025) does a good job of building tension between characters and creating a mood, but the third act seems to go on too long. Some plot twists may seem predictable to people who watch a lot of thrillers, and there are a few moments of exposition that slow down the movie’s otherwise fast pace. But these are only small problems in an otherwise exciting experience.
Unlike many sequels, this one succeeds by making its characters more complex instead of just copying what worked in the first movie. It’s a stylish psychological drama and a mirror that shows how obsessed we are with fame and how we see ourselves.
In conclusion
Influencers (2025) is one of the smartest thrillers of the year. It mixes social commentary with slick filmmaking. In a time when online identities often mean more than real ones, this story feels too close to home. This sequel is not just a continuation of the original’s themes; it’s an evolution of them thanks to Cassandra Naud’s haunting performance and Kurtis David Harder’s sharp direction.
If you’re interested in how technology, vanity, and human weakness come together, you need to see Influencers. It’s scary, beautiful, and very real.
