Bad movies making it to the top of the Netflix
chart are nothing new, but they are certainly becoming more frequent. The latest of these movies is Bad Influence, a movie about an ex-con who 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. Apparently, it is exactly as bad as it sounds, but it is topping the global Netflix chart, and sitting at a pretty number 3 on the U.S. chart.
Related
Explained: What is Wattpad (& Why Studios Are Turning to the Platform for Movie Ideas)
Movie companies get story ideas from many places including Wattpad. Those who are unfamiliar may ask what exactly is Wattpad. Here’s your answer.
Bad Influence is another movie that has its origins as a Wattpad novel, which was written by anonymous teen author teensspirit, aka B.A.B.E. You can read into this what you will. However, like many such novels that have been adapted before it, the book has been read over 50 million times since it was published in 2017, and this is why Netflix continues to churn out this kind of content regularly. The full synopsis reads:
“A young man with a dark past gets a chance to start over when he’s hired to protect a wealthy teen — until their forbidden love gets in the way. Starring Alberto Olmo, Eléa Rochera, and Enrique Arce, the drama series Bad Influence (Mala Influencia) follows a stubborn teen and her bodyguard as he shields her from the threats of a mysterious stalker. The romantic thriller was directed by Chloé Wallace (A Perfect Story).”
Should I Watch Bad Influence on Netflix?
Netflix
This is a question that seems to be a resounding yes according to the film’s position on the Netflix chart. However, the reviews of the movie have been nothing less than scathing, brutal, and if it was possible to bury a movie, then dig it up just to bury it deeper, it seems that those who have reviewed the film would do it without hesitation.
Although Bad Influence does not have a score on Rotten Tomatoes, if it did, it would be zero for both audiences and critics. Pramit Chatterjee of Digital Mafia Talkies summed up the state of the entertainment world right now, saying:
“After watching films like The Tearsmith, It Ends With Us, A True Gentleman, Umjolo (the entire franchise), Nadaaniyan, and the topic of today’s discussion, Bad Influence, it seems like the TikTokification of cinema is a real and imminent threat.”
The only other review, from Jonathon Wilson of Ready Steady Cut, adds, “Bad Influence is a strange misfire that isn’t sure what kind of movie it wants to be or how to properly conclude the one it eventually becomes.”
Audience reviews are even more brutal. These include statements such as, “This movie was so bad that it hurts. 100% do not RECOMMEND!!” Another commented, “This is the worst movie I’ve ever seen. It doesn’t even make sense! It’s just plain, boring and stupid. It really isn’t worth watching unless you want to watch a movie that’s so bad you can laugh about how bad it is.” And a third said, “Another dud from Netflix, written and directed by a talentless newcomer with no eye for story, who will certainly remain a nobody and never again write or direct a movie, unless picked up by Netflix to produce more jumbled content.” Ouch.
When will Netflix learn that just because a novel is popular on Wattpad or several other such platforms it does not necessarily mean it is good? As long as viewers keep sending these adaptations soaring past mega-budget epics with A-list casts to the top of the charts, not any time soon.
Source: FlixPatrol/ Rotten Tomatoes
You can view the original article HERE.
