Calgarian's horror film Influencer a cautionary tale about online manipulation yyc
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.What follows is a mix of character study and winding cat-and-mouse thriller with a dash of social satire thrown in. Now airing on Shudder, an American streaming service specializing in horror, Harder’s film remains refreshingly subtle as even as it ramps up the tension by delving into modern anxieties surrounding the easy manipulation of online information and profiles.“Especially now with AI coming in, can you trust what’s online?” Harder says.
Harder began his directing career just over a decade ago when he was barely out of his teens with the Calgary-shot indie drama Cody Fitz, which screened at the Calgary International Film Festival in 2012. He has since directed three more films and produced 12. His last film as a director was 2019’s creepy suburban-neighbours-from-hell chiller Spiral, another horror film that offered perceptive social commentary.
“I enjoy making travel films and going to some exotic place and telling a story there,” he says. “It was a bit of a blessing in disguise with the pandemic about a year and a half after we were greenlit. Initially, the script called for this showcasing of over-tourism and the exploitation of these kinds of countries. But because the country was so empty, it really lent itself to a lot of scenes of isolation and showing this paradise where you’re actually feeling quite lonely.
The film has received a good deal of praise since it made the festival rounds, including an Alberta premiere in April at the Calgary Underground Film Festival. Critics praised Harder and his cast, particularly Naudi, for the film’s Hitchcockian build-up of tension and for avoiding obvious jabs at what has become an increasingly predictable target: the seemingly self-involved and entitled social-media influencer.
“A big thing that Tesh and I noticed was that influencers tend to be an easy scapegoat to mock and dismiss,” Harder says. “We wanted to explore each character with ‘here’s the surface-layer first impression and now we’re going to slowly strip that away and make you feel that you’ve potentially judged them in the wrong way.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Controversial influencer accused of choking British woman unconsciousA woman in Britain has claimed that social\u002Dmedia influencer and former kick\u002Dboxer Andrew Tate choked her unconscious in 2014.
Read more »
Jenna Jameson marries influencer girlfriend Jessi LawlessThe former adult film star thinks they\u0027re a perfect match for each other
Read more »
Canucks: Why 'glue guy' defenceman David Reinbacher should stick as draft optionReinbacher is the kind of guy you put on the ice when things are going badly. He can settle everybody down against top lines.
Read more »
Glavin: China's election meddling — Here's the report David Johnston should have writtenAlliance Canada Hong Kong has meticulously and painstakingly documented Beijing’s strategy of harassment and infiltration in Canada.
Read more »
YOU SAID IT: Far from unimpeachableThe writer argues that any recommendations from David Johnston will be disregarded, and should be.
Read more »
David Johnston ends relationship with crisis communications firm Navigator in foreign interference probeThe office of the special rapporteur has said it hired Navigator to help with communications around the release of the May 23 report on foreign interference
Read more »