Netflix is about to stream a Spanish thriller featuring stars from some of the platform’s biggest shows – but what’s the verdict from critics?
This steamy crime drama was originally released in Spain back in January and received mixed reviews.
The seductive caper kicks off when wealthy heiress Reese (played by Reese) is assigned a new bodyguard, troubled ex-con Eros (Alberto Olmo).
However, it soon becomes clear they have an undeniable attraction to each other and are soon forced to unearth secrets from their past to salvage their relationship.
If that wasn’t enticing enough, the film features performances from some Spanish Netflix favourites, including Elite star Mirela Balić and Money Heist’s Enrique Arce.
Mala influencia (aka Bad Influence) will be streaming on Netflix from this Friday (9th May) and, if the initial reviews are to be believed, it could be the perfect trashy romance to ring in the weekend.
One damning review on IMDb reads: “Mala Pelicula would have been a more appropriate name for this film. Look, I went into Mala Influencia expecting scandal, suspense, maybe a dramatic betrayal or two-and what I got was an over-filtered fever dream that thinks it’s smarter than it is.
“If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if a Lifetime movie and an Instagram influencer’s highlight reel had a baby, this is it.
“The leads do their best, but they’re let down by dialogue that sounds like it was pulled from a TikTok argument and plot twists that can be spotted from a mile away. The pacing drags in the middle and rushes the ending, leaving key motivations murky and unresolved.”
Some rave Google reviews called it “a very well-conducted romantic thriller with an unexpected ending” and “a great movie” with “a lot of drama and romance”.
However, other movie buffs weren’t so convinced, with Bad Influence picking up a lot of scathing one-star write-ups as well.
One disappointed cinemagoer wrote: “I could say that it is one of the worst movies I have seen in a long time.
“An hour and a half that seemed eternal. Pointless scenes to shoehorn in all the teenage clichés. Plots that are not understood, absurd dialogues.”
Another fumed: “Bad no, very bad. No sense, no connection between actors, the dialogues seem like WhatsApp conversations, the plot makes no sense…
“The best thing was the trailer, which basically summarizes the entire film and dialogues, you don’t even need to watch the film, you save an hour and a half of your life.”
And a final furious viewer wrote: “The worst movie I have ever seen in my life, I don’t know what is worse if the actors or the script, according to my partner who read the book they have not done anything like it.”
Is Bad Influence so bad it’s good or just plain bad? It will be on Netflix this weekend if you want to risk finding out.
Bad Influence will be released Friday, 8th May on Netflix.