Influencer horror is a subgenre on the rise. Writing and directing duo Alex Henes and Matthew Merenda created a unique blend of influencer and found footage horror with their feature-film debut, Mind Body Spirit. The film follows a woman named Anya as she attempts to rebuild her life by moving into the house she inherited from her estranged grandmother and becoming a yoga influencer. Along her path of self-discovery and healing, she begins to uncover the dark truth about the grandmother she never knew.

While on the surface Mind Body Spirit might seem like a basic concept for a horror film, the filmmakers managed to incorporate interesting elements to keep it fresh and unique. It’s established fairly quickly that Anya has moved to this new town in part because she inherited her recently deceased grandmother’s house. She also has moved to get a fresh start after experiencing severe mental health issues, which is why she is trying her hand at being a yoga influencer. Anya hopes that taking others on a healing journey through yoga will in turn heal herself.

Exploring her new home reveals her grandmother was also involved in ancient Russian folk traditions. This fascinating cultural element is what really makes Mind Body Spirit stand apart from other similar films, exploring a culture and mythos audiences are likely unfamiliar with. At first, Anya interprets what she finds as her grandmother also seeking a sort of enlightenment, making her feel a kinship and trust in this woman she never knew. The deeper Anya dives into the ancient rituals, the more apparent it becomes that something far more sinister is happening. While audiences will likely figure out the truth behind the rituals long before Anya does, the build-up of terrors is still an engrossing and horrific ride. If anything, I wish the filmmakers explored these folk horror elements a bit further rather than the influencer angle.

The influencer aspects of the film are more straight-forward, but no less riveting. Mind Body Spirit doesn’t shy away from showing the unseen side of the industry. The audience watches as Anya struggles to find her confidence and individual voice in a world where influencers are a dime a dozen. We see Anya do multiple takes to try to get her videos right. We see Anya try to find a way to make a career out of guiding people on their spiritual and fitness journey, despite her clearly not having her own life together. She struggles to find her “brand” and even seeks guidance from an old friend who has a successful platform as a fitness influencer. Because the camera is almost always rolling, the audience is shown the often dramatic difference between the persona people show to the internet compared to who they are in real life. As with most influencer horror films, it’s a reminder that what people share on the internet for the world to see is rarely the truth. But this time there is an added mental health aspect that many viewers are sure to connect with.

Throughout Mind Body Spirit, there is a falseness to some of the performances. It will likely be off-putting to some audience members, but there is a clear reason for it. Sarah J. Bartholomew (The Chosen, Home Free) stars as Anya. At first, Bartholomew’s portrayal of Anya might come across as hollow and unrealistic. However, as the plot progresses, it becomes apparent there is a difference between the performance when Anya is in influencer mode compared to when she’s being more raw and real. It’s in those raw moments that Bartholomew really shines, delivering a haunting and even heartbreaking performance. With Anya being the focus of Mind Body Spirit, Bartholomew carries the weight of the film throughout the hour and 25 minute runtime. Other memorable performances come from Madi Bready (Infamous) as fitness influencer Kenzi and Anna Knigge as Anya’s mother, Lenka.

For a found footage film, Mind Body Spirit has some very eye-catching visual elements. Audiences will immediately notice the high quality of filming Anya does for her influencer videos. She clearly wants her videos to look professional, so she uses a nice camera for that purpose. Yet, when Anya video chats on her computer with her mother, the video quality is grainy. True to video calls when you have a poor wifi connection, there is even some glitching, freezing, and lagging that adds to the realism of Mind Body Spirit. The more professional camera allows for some compelling and eye-catching camera work. For the most part, the camera is stationary as Anya records her videos. However, whatever sinister presence lurks in the home sometimes takes over and moves the camera around, creating an opportunity for stunning cinematography one wouldn’t expect in a found footage film. These camera angles, plus a number of well-placed figures looming in the darkness, lead to some genuine scares. There is a bit of CGI shown throughout the film that takes away from the realism; however, it’s used sparingly which makes it easier to overlook. The folk horror elements are not only the most spellbinding part of the plot, but they also lead to some of the most stunning visuals. From a creepy old diary to disturbing artwork and ritualistic items, these visuals add to the mythos as well as the terror in unexpected ways.

Mind Body Spirit is a frightening blend of horror subgenres that gives a look behind the curtain of influencer culture and mental health struggles. Henes and Merenda use the found footage format in a way that grounds the film in the reality behind social media, all while weaving a folk horror mythos throughout to raise the stakes and the fear. It’s a strong feature-film debut for the filmmakers that adds something unexpected to the rash of recent influencer horror stories. While there are some elements that don’t work as well as others, there’s no denying Mind Body Spirit has a compelling plot, strong performance from Bartholomew, and imagery that will stick with audiences.

OVERALL RATING: 7/10