A Pulse-Pounding, Graphic Thriller on Netflix Will Make You Cancel Your Social Media
Written by Robert Scucci | Published
Whenever an online Influencer tries to throw in overpriced supplements with a product partnership or cheese pulling in their car while carving their fingernails into a box of fries for that ASMR effect, my BS detector goes off immediately. Don’t get me wrong, there’s this guy who tries to eat Double Quarter Pounders without chewing them for the love of the game, I sing every time he posts to see if he’s going to get kicked out of his mayonnaise covered car. Most influences, if you have part of the brain in your head, are harmless. They are brand ambassadors who try to earn money on the side, using their personality as a selling point.
in 2022 The facilitator it pushes that concept to its most extreme end, and will make you never want to log into Instagram again. Is that luxurious, luxurious trip to Thailand as amazing as expected, or did the person telling you to book it actually get a free trip while underestimating how badly it could break your bank account? Worse yet, when someone else takes on the role of influencer, can they destroy your entire life just to live off someone else’s money?
Laying by the lake in an exotic location may seem like the perfect vacation, but The facilitator will make you think twice about booking a trip to an unfamiliar destination, especially if you’re traveling alone with nothing but a ring light and an iPhone.
Trouble in Paradise
The facilitator opens by showing us exactly how Madison (Emily Tennant) works when she’s in full social media mode while traveling in Thailand. She snaps selfies on the beach and on hiking trails, sips classy cocktails at bars, and urges her followers to live the high life through her carefully curated writing. When Madison meets a local named CW (Cassandra Naud), the two quickly hit it off, and CW starts taking her to all the places that might look good on a feed.
Things take a drastic turn when Madison returns to her hotel and discovers that someone has broken into her room and stolen all her identifying documents. Suddenly, as he is left in another country, he is forced to rely on the kindness of a stranger.
CW convinces Madison, who is already dealing with her long-distance boyfriend Ryan’s (Rory J. Saper) estrangement from her constant travel, to extend her stay so she can get papers to replace the local consul. Fully trusting her new friend, Madison has no reason to believe that CW plans to leave her for dead on a deserted island, steal her identity, and continue her shipping routine as if nothing happened. It doesn’t take long for audiences to realize that The CW has been doing this for a long time, and Madison serves as just the latest in a long line of victims.
The situation worsens when Ryan appears unannounced, completely unaware that Madison is already out of the picture and that The CW is now using his account, narrative, and opinion of reality.
Don’t Believe Everything You Read On The Internet
CW is absolutely dangerous The facilitatorand his willingness to take everything from anyone without question is truly sad. We get a front seat to how he uses the algorithm to his advantage, and why his photoshop skills are the least of your worries if you ever cross his path. He can smile because of the camera position when he commands, but there is nothing behind his eyes that shows any real warmth or compassion.
His in-depth knowledge of the streets, tourist traps, and hot spots of influence make him extremely dangerous, as he is always scouting for his next mark. The facilitator understands that visibility is the currency in this world, and The CW treats people the same way brands treat engagement metrics: disposable.
The facilitator it exists in a world that I can’t personally participate in, which allows me to watch the film with a healthy detachment and enjoy the murders and conflicts for what they are. If you’re someone who really wants to live a life of influence, though, this movie might scare you straight away. At the very least, it might get you headed for that Chili joint you can snap in your car instead of traveling abroad and trusting the locals who just happen to be lurking around for selfies long before they present themselves.
The next time someone takes you through their skin care routine “everyone’s been blasting their DMs,” make sure you’re following a boneless person in their closet, or in this case, buried on an island.
The facilitator is currently streaming on Netflix. Its sequence, Influencersbroadcast on Shudder.
