After the success of the 2022 film Influencer, writer and director Kurtis David Harder (Spiral) returns with a sequel aptly titled Influencers. Serial killer CW is back after a close call with her latest victim in Thailand. She’s trying to get a fresh start in a new country, but her murderous compulsion and a threat from her past ignite chaos in the new life she’s tried to create.

When Influencer hit Shudder in 2022, it quickly gained popularity. Harder had crafted a unique tale of a highly intelligent, methodical serial killer with a penchant for leaving her victims for dead, then using her technological prowess to take over their social media. It’s a film with plenty of great twists that focuses on modern technology and fears. This time, Harder has raised the stakes. When the audience last saw CW, she’d been trapped on the very island she left her victims on. Somehow, she escaped the island and made her way to France. After such a close call, she’s trying to turn a new leaf and has even fallen in love. Yet with the constant temptation of vapid influencers and the looming threat of Madison, the victim who got away, CW can’t quite leave her old life behind.

Influencers raises the stakes as it delivers suspense, surprises, and plenty of pitch black humor. Harder also incorporates plenty of relevant social topics. The first film addressed the falsehood of social media and influencers, along with the danger of increasingly sophisticated deep-fake technology. Influencers takes these themes a step further, diving into topics such as cancel-culture, AI technology, and even the rise of alt-right influencers sowing discord on the internet. It keeps the themes relevant to today’s socio-political climate while still poking fun at influencer culture. The plot delivers a tense thriller as the audience watches CW and Madison’s individual stories once again collide with explosive results. Influencers ups the ante when it comes to the themes and technology, but it also injects a lot more humor. CW’s antics have a dark comedic edge along with a healthy dose of camp. From constant jokes about not knowing how CW managed to get off the island in Thailand to an outrageous final act, Harder made sure to go big with his sequel. While the campiness in the final act might lean a bit too silly for some viewers, others will love the big, wild swings that take CW’s story to new heights.

As with the first film, Influencers has a phenomenal cast of returning actors as well as some new faces. Cassandra Naud (Influencer, It’s a Wonderful Knife) returns as everyone’s favorite killer, CW. While we still don’t know about CW’s past, Naud gets the chance to show a different side of the character in this film. She conveys a softer, loving side of CW as she finds love, but Naud always makes sure to show the deadly compulsion lurking just beneath the surface. When CW lets the mask slip, Naud really gets to let loose and show the world just how deranged CW really is. Emily Tennant (Influencer, Mr. Young) also returns to play former influencer, Madison. Madison is quite different in this film. She escaped CW, but with no evidence of her existence the internet points the finger at Madison. Tennant gives a wonderfully layered performance, at first appearing resigned to her less than glamorous new life before finally gaining the courage to hunt her attacker down. Jonathan Whitesell (The 100, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) plays a new character, Jacob. Jacob is an alt-right influencer spewing hatred across the internet to gain views and followers. Despite him being a stain on society, Whitesell manages to give a nuanced performance showing a different side of the character. While what he puts online is still atrocious, the audience gets to see more of the real Jacob when away from the public eye. These performances, as well as others, help to make Influencers a fascinating viewing experience.

While CW’s crimes were on full display in the first film, Influencers is certainly more violent. CW is typically in complete control, allowing her to leave her victims to die alone without getting her hands dirty. The only time she got violent was when things didn’t go to plan. In Influencers, CW is no longer in control. She doesn’t have her typical hunting ground, she’s fighting her own nature, and she’s becoming increasingly desperate. This means her crimes appear on-screen far more often and in more graphic detail. It allows for some well-crafted practical wounds and gore with plenty of bloodshed. Just as with any good sequel, the crimes are bigger. The audience also gets to see CW commit her crimes in beautiful new places. Whether in stunning Southern France or the tropical island of Bali, the locations are as gorgeous as the kills are violent. On top of this, there are some scenes which use computer effects to highlight technology in visually interesting ways.

Influencers is a bold sequel delivering bigger kills, new locales, and plenty of technological terror. Harder brilliantly continues CW’s story, as well as Madison’s, all while weaving in updates to the social themes he presented in Influencer. It allows for new depth to this unique serial killer, all while still keeping her origin and motivations a mystery. While the addition of campy humor might not be for everyone, it certainly leads to a memorable finale. With brilliant performances from the entire cast, especially Naud and Tennant, and a ton of striking visuals, Influencers is destined to be another fan favorite. Be sure to catch Influencers exclusively on Shudder beginning Friday, December 12th.

OVERALL RATING: 7.5/10