Influence
When Patricia approaches Ashley with a tailor-made project and is rejected, she gets a gun. Patricia breaks into Ashley’s home and takes her hostage. What ensues is a psychological cat-and-mouse game that culminates in a surprising and bloody climax.
Excerpt
At one point Ashley says, "You can’t just put a gun to someone’s head and force them to give up social media!" and while I laughed, I found myself feeling genuine concern. Her posting schedule is going to be really behind!
Why Don’t You Love Me?
It’s unusual to have Béla Tarr’s 7.5 hour Criterion Collection epic Sátántangó feature as a set piece in an abduction thriller, but Ryan Moore’s Influence (2023) said, hold my beer! It’s a bold move from the young director, and one that has interesting dividends.
We follow writer/director Patricia (Cheyenne Perez) as she tries to sell her script in Hollywood. She’s hit with lovely rejection letters and promises of nothing. By day she edits footage for her boss – a jaded wellness ambassador named Melissa (Emily Hall), and by night she doom scrolls wellness influencers on Instagram. It’s a vicious cycle of faux inspiration and toxic positivity that sends Ashley even further into a depressive spiral.
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