The last decade has seen an increase in horror films skewering the world of online fame -- as influencers and content creators become a more common line of work, so too have movies looking to take "these types" down a notch. Kurtis David Harder's "Influencer" from 2022 was one of the best films to explore the landscape, with the story about a parasocial killer intersecting with an influencer on a backpacking trip from Hell becoming a surprise hit for Shudder. Now, three years later, Harder has returned with "Influencers," a sequel with sharper claws and a firm grasp on what people loved so much about the first one. Primarily, the audience loved Cassandra Naud's villainous character, CW, and wanted to see her continue to obliterate those who dared cross her. Together, they shape a follow-up that blends familiar beats with wild new shifts, creating a continuation that mutates the original horror story into the rare sequel that improves upon what came before it.
Right off the bat, "Influencers" signals its nastier ambitions. A beautiful young woman dies by suicide in an opulent villa after receiving crushing news, but viewers of the first film should already know that things are probably not what they seem. If this is the return of CW, there's no way she wasn't involved with this woman's death. Sure, Harder will continue examining themes of identity, vanity, and digital toxicity -- but there's no need to delay the bloodshed. After CW and her photographer partner Diane (Lisa Delamar) are bumped from their hotel room in favor of a popular British influencer named Charlotte ("Barbarian" breakout star Georgina Campbell), old impulses rise to the surface, and "Influencers" brings content creator carnage with glee.