INFLUENCERS is a Sleek Sequel Worth Subscribing To [Fantasia 2025 Review]

When news first dropped that INFLUENCERS, a sequel to Kurtis David Harder’s 2022 film INFLUENCER, was making its World Premiere at the Fantasia Film Festival, the reveal was unexpected, but very welcome. INFLUENCER was stylish, fresh, gorgeous to look at and delivered a killer new villain with Cassandra Naud’s (SNOWPIERCER) character, CW. Now, with INFLUENCERS, Harder doubles down on everything INFLUENCER did right, delivering a bigger, bolder, and bloodier new adventure with the killer we love to hate. 

With INFLUENCERS, the story picks up with CW a year after Madison (Emily Tennant) left her deserted on a remote Thai island. Now going by the name Catherine, CW spends her days strolling around Paris and living a fairytale life with her stunning and sweet girlfriend, Diane (Lisa Delamar). Everything seems to be going swimmingly for the couple until a popular British influencer named Charlotte (Georgina Campbell) throws a wrench in the couple’s romantic anniversary weekend vacation, sending CW spiralling back into her old ways. 

Even though this storyline alone would provide adequate fodder for a sequel, INFLUENCERS goes a step further by bringing Madison back into CW’s world. While CW was able to basically disappear into the ether after their last encounter, Madison has had to battle murder charges, PTSD, conspiracy theories, and a new life of isolation and digital disconnection. However, when Madison stumbles across a loose thread CW missed, she seizes the opportunity to pull on that thread and serve CW some justice that’s been a long time coming. 

As these characters, Tennant and Naud build upon everything they established in the first film, taking it to the next level. Naud adds a new level of sensitivity, humanity, and unhinged psychosis to CW that is truly glorious to behold. Similarly, Tennant provides a beautiful depth and determination to Madison that never feels false or forced. While her transition from the hunted to the hunter could have easily been spun into a rage-fueled revenge tale, the thoughtful writing and performance from Tennant feel more authentic, more like a traumatized yet strong woman with literally nothing left to lose. But don’t get me wrong, the final showdown between these two rules and is as thrilling as it is cathartic. 

Similar to the first film, INFLUENCERS employs a nonlinear timeline to carefully reveal narrative information and maximize impact. From the perfect cold open to the final moments of the film, this creative decision provides a thoroughly engaging viewing experience that keeps the energy up and keeps the audience guessing until the very end. Although this could be frustrating in lesser hands, Harder proves he knows what he’s doing. For me, it reminded me of BARBARIAN in that way, and not just because Georgina Campbell stars in that film, too.

Another glorious element unifying INFLUENCERS with its predecessor is the use of absolutely drop-dead gorgeous locations. As CW and Diane’s relationship is established, beautiful shots of Paris, European apartments, sidewalk cafes, idyllic resort hotels, and ancient, crumbling architecture paint an enchanting picture of their life together. Even when forced to bug out for a bit, CW jets off to Bali because, why not? Along with the lush landscapes, open-air bungalows, and picturesque tourist attractions, INFLUENCERS features some jaw-dropping houses. All shot to the absolute gods, cinematographer David Schuurman provides an aesthetic that doubles as a travel advertisement for every single location in the most dreamy way possible. 

Even though the true strength of the film lies in the tense dynamic between Madison and CW, Harder adds some additional characters and narrative elements to inject some humor into the story and expand the world. Jacob (Jonathan Whitesell) is a performative influencer in the manosphere realm who doesn’t actually believe what he peddles, but uses it to gain attention and clout. Supported by his similarly performative conservative influencer girlfriend Ariana (Veronica Long), the two get in way over their heads as they find themselves inadvertently entangled in CW and Madison’s ongoing game of cat-and-mouse. 

Despite the film dedicating slightly more time to these characters than is probably necessary, their inclusion in the story is an important one. Not only does their inclusion allow some critical elements to be incorporated into the story, but it also expands the social commentary aspect of the film. Elevating the conversation beyond the influencer and the often performative nature of the gig, INFLUENCERS delves a bit deeper into the technology itself and explores how it can be both dangerous, misleading, and at times, helpful. Although not a new conversation or an original one, what makes this part of the film successful is the way Harder uses the commentary to strengthen the story, rather than building the story around it. 

In the end, INFLUENCERS is a summer bop of a film. From the magnetic performances, stunning locations, great writing, exquisite cinematography, and the electrifying, energetic, youthful score by Avery Kentis (gotta squeeze that worthy note in, too), it truly doubles down on everything its predecessor did right. In this digital age of likes, shares, and algorithms, INFLUENCERS is a sleek, sexy, and scary sequel worth subscribing to.

The 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival runs from July 16 to August 3 in Montreal, Quebec, primarily at the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional screenings and events at Montreal’s Cinéma du Musée. For more information, please visit the Fantasia website here.