Elite star's new Netflix thriller is being called ‘the worst movie ever'

Daily Mirror

08-05-2025

A hot and heavy Spanish thriller is being added to Netflix this Friday, but is it worth a watch?
Netflix is gearing up to drop a Spanish thriller that's got stars from the streaming giant's hottest series - but are the critics giving it the thumbs up?
This sizzling crime drama first hit screens in Spain this January, and let's just say the feedback was a bit of a mixed bag.
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The plot heats up when posh heiress Reese (played by Eléa Rochera) gets a new protector, the brooding ex-con Eros (Alberto Olmo).
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But sparks fly and they can't deny the chemistry. They're soon digging up old skeletons to try and save what they've got.
And for an extra dash of spice, the cast includes some of Netflix's Spanish darlings like Elite's Mirela Balić and Money Heist's Enrique Arce, reports the Express.
Mala influencia (or Bad Influence for us English speakers) hits Netflix this coming Friday (9th May), and if you believe the early word on the street, it might just be the guilty pleasure you need to kick off your weekend.
One scathing IMDb critique didn't hold back: "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.
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"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 glowing Google reviews have hailed it as "a very well-conducted romantic thriller with an unexpected ending" and praised it as "a great movie" brimming with "a lot of drama and romance".
Yet, not all cinema enthusiasts were charmed, with Bad Influence also garnering a slew of harsh one-star critiques.
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One disgruntled filmgoer lamented: "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."
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Another vented their irritation: "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."
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And yet another exasperated viewer declared: "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."
So, is Bad Influence a case of so-bad-it's-good, or is it just a cinematic disaster?
It's hitting Netflix this weekend for those brave enough to take the plunge and find out for themselves.
Bad Influence will be released Friday, 9th May on Netflix.