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Bad Influence

Play trailer Poster for Bad Influence R Released Mar 9, 1990 1h 39m Mystery & Thriller Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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65% Tomatometer 20 Reviews 51% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Los Angeles marketing analyst Michael Boll (James Spader) struggles with insecurity despite his successes -- until he meets a mysterious man, Alex (Rob Lowe), who promises to help him gain confidence. However, Alex's guidance becomes toxic when he introduces Michael to sex, drugs and crime. When Michael's life begins collapsing, he comes to realize that his mentor is a sociopath. Is it too late, or can Michael escape Alex's sinister web of machinations?
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Bad Influence

Critics Reviews

View All (20) Critics Reviews
Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Rated: B+ Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times The movie sneaks up on you. Rated: 3/4 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Entertainment Weekly Rated: B+ Mar 9, 1990 Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) An excellent thriller. [Full review in Spanish] Oct 27, 2022 Full Review Juan Carlos Coto Miami Herald Bad Influence takes mostly predictable steps and tries to wrap up a forgotten subplot with some quick dialogue. It's also hard to watch Lowe make inside jokes during a movie with no substantial female characters -- the women are all props or plot devices. Rated: 2/4 Aug 18, 2021 Full Review Karl Soehnlein OutWeek Before becoming heavy handed, Bad Influence is almost worth rooting for. May 19, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (116) audience reviews
House R This is a stylish '80s period thriller with a horrific villain and just a smidge of humor. I loved the cameo from the Nymphs too. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/09/24 Full Review Kenneth P I love this movie. I saw it in theaters and watch it whenever I can find it on streaming. Rob Lowes best performance in anything. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/21/23 Full Review Steve D Spader is the only reason to watch. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Carlos I Leading the pack for the deluge of 90s Hitchcockian thrillers. This one bucks the trend by having both Spader and Lowe play against type, and they both do marvellously at it. If you're a fan of the style of thrillers of this type, from this period then you're probably not going to be surprised by anything that happens here, but you're sure to be entertained regardless. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/23/22 Full Review jelisije j A young yuppie goes to the dark side with the help from a new dangerous stranger. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review deke p A very good thriller. The title sez it. Seen it a couple times, latest 8.2021 "This TV" - kabc Channel 7.2 Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Bad Influence

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Los Angeles marketing analyst Michael Boll (James Spader) struggles with insecurity despite his successes -- until he meets a mysterious man, Alex (Rob Lowe), who promises to help him gain confidence. However, Alex's guidance becomes toxic when he introduces Michael to sex, drugs and crime. When Michael's life begins collapsing, he comes to realize that his mentor is a sociopath. Is it too late, or can Michael escape Alex's sinister web of machinations?
Director
Curtis Hanson
Producer
Steve Tisch
Screenwriter
David Koepp
Production Co
Epic Productions
Rating
R
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 9, 1990, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 16, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$11.3M
Runtime
1h 39m
Sound Mix
Surround
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