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Bad Influence
Movie

Bad Influence

2025 • Unknown

Woke Score
4
out of 10

Plot

An ex-con gets a fresh start when hired to protect a wealthy heiress from a stalker — but their chemistry is hard to resist as they grow closer.

Overall Series Review

The Spanish romantic thriller *Bad Influence* (Mala influencia) centers on the tense relationship between Reese, a privileged heiress, and Eros, an ex-con hired as her bodyguard by her shady, wealthy father. The film is a clear example of an 'opposites-attract' narrative, pitting the 'rich girl' against the 'troubled criminal.' The narrative’s primary lens for conflict is a social and economic one, where the wealthy, privileged characters, such as Reese's father, are portrayed as morally ambiguous or incompetent. The director’s explicit intent to frame the male lead outside of traditional norms is noteworthy, even though the primary relationship is a conventional male-female romance. The film's themes are dominated by class critique, romantic tropes, and power dynamics, without significant engagement with traditional religious or anti-Western themes.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics4/10

The narrative relies heavily on a class hierarchy lens, contrasting the poor, ex-con bodyguard with the wealthy heiress and her 'shady' businessman father. The privileged class is depicted as corrupt or dysfunctional, while the character from the lower economic strata is a central protagonist. The plot is driven by class and social status differentials rather than immutable racial characteristics.

Oikophobia5/10

The film focuses on deconstructing the 'perfect life' of the wealthy elite, framing the institutions of high society, like the rich family and even the police (who dismiss the stalking), as either morally compromised or ineffective. The story critiques national wealth and privilege but does not extend this hostility to the ancestors or foundational Western civilization itself.

Feminism4/10

The female lead is a wealthy heiress, but the core romantic plot relies on a traditional 'damsel in distress meets dark protector' dynamic, where the male lead, Eros, is the protective figure. The female gaze is evident, catering to an audience that desires the 'bad boy' trope. The wealthy male figure (Reese's father) is incompetent and morally shady, which is a common narrative trend. There is no explicit anti-natal or anti-motherhood messaging.

LGBTQ+7/10

The film’s director stated an explicit intention not to have the male lead, Eros, 'fully conform to hetero-cis-normativity.' While the central romantic plot is between a male and female character, the creator's stated intent is to actively de-center traditional sexual and gender norms. The production also appears to cater to an alternative sexual demographic, elevating the score significantly due to the overt ideological framing.

Anti-Theism1/10

The plot is entirely secular, focused on romance, crime, and class conflict. No references to religion, faith, or objective moral truth are prominent in the narrative, and there is no visible hostility toward or vilification of Christian characters or institutions.