The Influencer Project (2026)    Hades Films/Horror    RT: 95 minutes    Rated R (strong bloody violence, suicide, language throughout)    Director: Mike Nybroe    Screenplay: Anders Jon, Mike Nybroe and Lars Andreas Pedersen    Music: MFR and DJ White Shadow    Cinematographer: Daniel Parmo    Release date: October 2, 2026 (US)    Cast: Chiara King, Mike Nybroe, Luca Storm, Eos Karlsson, Gemma Karlsen, Jazmine Summer, Ronja Hauge Schierup, Alexandre Willaume.

Rating: ** ½

 I want to address this right off the bat. It will go a long way towards explaining my mixed feelings for The Influencer Project. The main character, a social media influencer named Chiara King (as herself), is a complete moron. Get this. She goes to Copenhagen to film a documentary about her lifestyle. She’s a high-profile figure; she’s Internet famous. She’s in a foreign country. The first thing she should have done is hire security. If not then, she should have done so upon receiving the first threat. Does she? NOPE! Instead, she waits several days before somebody does it for her. In my mind, I was saying “WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!” She’s leaving herself vulnerable, open to attack, for what purpose, more followers? It’s not the only dopey thing she does over the course of the film. It’s a wonder she lives long enough to meet her security detail.

 Now I understand that horror films generally operate on the understanding that the characters are idiots and will behave as such until most of them meet their gruesome demise. It’s what fuelled many an 80s slasher flick. If these people had an ounce of common sense, it wouldn’t be much of a movie. That’s what’s going on in The Influencer Project. It’s an update of the genre. It follows the same basic formula, but is presented as a faux documentary. It’s framed like a found-footage horror film with videos from social media platforms like TikTok instead of grainy, hand-held camera cinematography. The result is far less migraine-inducing.

 Chiara King, a real-life influencer based out of London, travels to Copenhagen to make promotional videos to increase her followers on social media (TikTok and Instagram). A film crew follows her everywhere filming her making videos. She ultimately wants to reach 10 million followers. On her first day, while she’s making the rounds to various high-end businesses, somebody calling himself “King Slayer” sends her a threatening post telling to stop talking or face being raped and killed. It freaks her out, but she keeps on doing what she’s doing. King Slayer continues to stalk and threaten her. Chiara starts losing it. And so forth.

 Directed by Mike Nybroe, a first-time director who also appears in the film as Mike the cameraman, The Influencer Project just opened in what’s called a limited release. That means it didn’t open in too many theaters. Sorry, I don’t have an exact figure. At my local multiplex, it’s only showing twice daily. I assume it’s the same at every cinema showing it. It was a last-minute addition at my AMC. It barely got any promotion. All signs point to it being a stinker. Now here’s the shocker. It’s not as terrible as I thought it would be. It doesn’t exactly suck, but it’s not particularly good either.

The Influencer Project is predictable from start to finish right to the final twist of the knife which most of you will see coming long before the reveal. As a cautionary tale, it’s frustratingly shallow. It wants to say something about the superficiality of on-line fame and the fickle nature of followers. It isn’t anything we don’t already know and it’s explored with the depth one usually affords the menu at Denny’s. Then there’s poor Chiara. You’re supposed to sympathize with her plight, but all I could think was “How freaking dumb are you?” Does that make me a bad person?

 Chiara makes her acting debut here. A star is most definitely not born. She’s about as interesting as a social media influencer can be, I guess. I wouldn’t know since I don’t like and subscribe to a single one. What really gets me is the clear absence of common sense on her part. I already mentioned the private security thing so let me illustrate my point with something else. In the climax, she confronts King Slayer at an abandoned, out of the way factory with only her security guy (Karlsson) and Mike. Why? To get more views, why else? Hey lady, is it really worth your life? These things almost never end well. She puts her life at risk so many times, one begins to wonder if she’s secretly suicidal.

 There are no surprises in The Influencer Project including an end credits scene setting up a sequel that probably won’t happen given the unlikelihood of this movie becoming a hit. That being said, I didn’t mind this movie too much. It’s not as awful as some of the crap I’ve endured this year (I’m looking at you, Hunting Matthew Nichols). Like I said, it’s basically an updated slasher flick. I always liked those. In this one’s defense, it features a couple of good bloody kills. They don’t happen until the end. Still, it’s nice to see some blood spilled. Sometimes you have to take what you can get.