Mala Influencia (Bad Influence, 2025) ending explained: Who was stalking Reese and did she end up together with Eros?

Time of India

11-05-2025

Mala Influencia (Bad Influence, 2025) ending explained: Chloe Wallace's Mala Influencia, or Bad Influence in English (not to be mistaken for the 1990 film of the same name), premiered on Netflix on May 9. The film may be messy, over-the-top, and far from subtle, but it sure knows how to keep viewers hooked until the very end. With twists involving secret pasts, revenge, and a tangled web of guilt and grief, the ending leaves a lot to unpack. Here's what really happened in the final act of Netflix's new romantic thriller.
Mala Influencia (Bad Influence, 2025) synopsis
Mala Influencia, which marks Chloe Wallace's directorial debut, is based on a Wattpad story. Set in Spain, it follows Reese Russell (Eléa Rochera), the rebellious daughter of a wealthy businessman, and Eros (Alberto Olmo), a mysterious ex-convict hired to be her bodyguard after a stalker begins threatening her. While it begins as an arrangement against her wish, Reese soon finds herself drawn to Eros. It soon turns into a complicated romance as the two grow closer, despite warnings and secrets lurking in the background. As Eros dives deeper into Reese's life, he uncovers disturbing truths linking their pasts.
Mala Influencia (Bad Influence, 2025) ending explained: Here's all you need to know
Who was stalking Reese?
From the start, Mala Influencia teases the idea that Reese is being watched. The initial suspect is her ex-boyfriend Raul, who has plenty of reasons to hold a grudge. He has clearly not moved on and always finds reasons to belittle Reese while also being a little too obsessed with her. But as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Raul is a red herring. His alibi checks out, and the real threat has been hiding in plain sight.
The stalker turns out to be Peyton, Eros's close friend, who had been posing as someone else the entire time. While she told Eros she had a job in a bar, she was actually working as a cleaner at Reese's school, giving her easy access to monitor her target.
Why did Peyton kill Bruce?
Peyton's motives are rooted in her past. Her mother worked at Bruce's restaurant and died in the same tragic fire that killed Eros' parents. The incident was caused by inadequate safety measures at the restaurant, something Bruce had quietly tried to atone for by supporting Eros financially over the years. But for Peyton, there was no closure, and all she desired was revenge.
By inserting herself into Reese's life, Peyton hoped to bring Bruce's world crashing down, just like her own had years ago. Whether she ever intended to seriously harm Reese is left ambiguous, but her obsession with revenge ultimately spirals out of control.
The big confrontation and Bruce's death
As Eros uncovers the painful truth about his parents' deaths and Bruce's role in it, he also realises Peyton is behind the threats. He tries to talk her down, urging her to choose forgiveness over vengeance. But Peyton refuses to let go of her anger. In a devastating moment, she shoots Bruce dead.
In a shocking turn, it's revealed that Reese's mother also passed away in the same deadly fire, and her father lied to her all these years. Reese is left to mourn the loss of her father, despite their difficult relationship, she loved him.
Did Reese and Eros get their happily ever after?
In the final scenes, Eros and Reese try to move forward. Reese gets accepted into a dance company, and Eros joins her on stage in a quiet, redemptive moment. The film closes with a sense of closure, suggesting that even after so much pain and chaos, there's room for healing and hope.