'Influence' Review: A Dark Psychological Thriller About Hollywood Ambition

 

‘Influence’ Turns Indie Ambition Into a Darkly Comic Nightmare

Desperation becomes obsession in Influence, Ryan Moore’s psychological horror film about the pressure, rejection, and distorted ambition that can accompany the pursuit of a Hollywood dream. Releasing September 4 through Freestyle Digital Media, the film finds a pointed connection between the hunger to create and the absurd hoops artists are often asked to navigate for a chance to be seen.

Written and directed by Moore, Influence centers on Patricia Abro (Cheyenne Perez), a filmmaker struggling on the fringes of the entertainment industry. When she crosses paths with Ashley Ortiz (Grace Kaufman), a social-media influencer and actress, Patricia sees an opportunity that could finally change her life. Ashley’s rejection sends Patricia into a dangerous spiral, setting up a tense psychological confrontation between two women whose public identities conceal deeper fractures.

A sharp take on ambition

The film’s premise may be heightened, but its emotional foundation is recognizable. Patricia is not simply chasing attention; she is fighting to be acknowledged as an artist. Moore uses her desperation to examine the punishing contradictions of the entertainment business—an industry that urges creators to be persistent while making access, approval, and opportunity feel perpetually out of reach.

There is a bleak humor in that tension. Filmmakers are expected to pitch endlessly, reshape their ideas, sell their vision, survive rejection, and remain grateful through the process. Influence pushes that reality into extreme territory, but Moore never loses sight of the underlying truth: creative ambition can become dangerous when a person’s sense of worth is tied entirely to being recognized.

Moore keeps the story focused rather than overexplaining its themes. The film takes on validation, influencer culture, creative identity, and control, yet it remains grounded in the escalating conflict between Patricia and Ashley. That restraint gives the material its power.

The director also understands the uneasy relationship between performance and identity. Patricia has built herself around the dream of becoming a successful filmmaker, while Ashley’s public life depends on being visible, accessible, and marketable. Their collision becomes a dark reflection of a culture where people are often valued less for who they are than for the version of themselves they can sell.

Moore and Millar find the right frame

Moore maintains a confident grip on the film’s tone, blending psychological horror with pointed satire. He keeps the audience engaged without diluting the seriousness of the material, allowing the tension to build while preserving the emotional stakes beneath the thriller framework.

Cinematographer Alice Millar is essential to that effect. Her work understands the visual demands of a story about perception, performance, and control. Rather than over-stylizing the film, Millar gives its intimate setting a sense of pressure and instability, helping the psychological conflict feel increasingly claustrophobic.

That visual approach is especially effective because Influence is fundamentally concerned with who gets to control the image. Patricia wants control over her film and her own narrative. Ashley has made a life out of managing how she is perceived. Millar’s cinematography supports that struggle, finding tension in the spaces between public persona and private fear.

A simple film with big ideas

Influence is a compact film, and that works in its favor. It does not require a sprawling world or elaborate mythology to make its point. By staying close to its two central characters, Moore exposes the emotional toll of chasing creative validation in an industry that can make artists feel invisible.

It would be easy to dismiss the film’s contained premise, but that would overlook its larger purpose. Influence takes a big swing at the contradictions of Hollywood ambition while remaining simple, focused, and honest about the emotional stakes underneath.

Featuring Perez, Kaufman, Emily Hall, David Lengel, and Hilty Bowen, Influence arrives on North American digital HD, DVD, cable, and satellite platforms September 4. The film was written and directed by Ryan Moore, produced by Moore, Ben Whalen, and KT Kent, and photographed by Alice Millar.