Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story

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Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story

2025

1h 40m

Documentary

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Popcornmeter

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7 Reviews

48%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Unraveling the case of Utah therapist Jodi Hildebrandt, whose child abuse arrest with parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke exposed a twisted tale of manipulation.

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Lucy Mangan

Guardian

Dec 30

3/5

A new year’s resolution to do better than make or watch more of this stuff might improve us all.

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Alejandro Lingenti

La Nación (Argentina)

Jan 12

4/5

...the documentary goes beyond exposing a morbid case and warns about the risks of romanticizing sacrificial motherhood...and the unquestionable authority given to “therapeutic” figures. [Full review in Spanish]

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Barbara Shulgasser

Common Sense Media

Jan 6

3/5

In this disturbing documentary, the police work is far more interesting than the numerous and repetitive interviews with Jodi's broken and regretful victims.

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John Serba

Decider

Jan 5

Evil Influencer’s flimsiness underscores its inability to justify its existence as a piece of worthwhile journalism.

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Romey Norton

InSession Film

Jan 3

B+

This story is less about one woman than about the fragility of safeguards around care, authority, and belief. It is a sober, unsettling documentary that asks viewers to question not only who they listen to, but why.

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Carla Hay

Culture Mix

Dec 31

A very lazy and sloppily edited documentary that re-uses the same footage and recycles the same information that's in other documentaries about the Jodi Hildebrandt/Ruby Franke child abuse scandal. This documentary’s timeline jumps all over the place.

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Daniel L

@Hotchopeppa Jul 6

Sadly this is yet another TV show that highlights just how incredibly stupid the human race is. Particularly those in the LDS. They have to be the most gullible people on the planet. So much harm is done in their weird little communities. Slow burn and very frustrating.

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Russell H

@RT85733992 Feb 23

Story was interesting but a little of down time and focus on the history of the religious group

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Scott R

@ScottR Feb 6

Z had me watch it since I was from the area and wondered if I had encountered them. I was frustrated with the bad name they give people from Utah and the religion. Now everyone focuses on these extremists. I am also not a fan of true crime stuff. Saw on Netflix.

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Rihannna H.

@RT07733770 Jan 21

It was good but it wasn’t as in depth from the 3 episode Hulu doc from last year, and we didn’t really learn much of anything new, just what we already know

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Sergio A

@Sergio83 Jan 8

The informative and entertaining approach is appreciated, but several aspects could have been explored in greater depth; overall, it feels more like a summary.

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Anna S.

@annamae747 Jan 8

Regurgitating everything we already knew. Sorry I watched it honestly.

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Skye Borgman

Director

Leslie Mattingly

Producer

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Synopsis

Unraveling the case of Utah therapist Jodi Hildebrandt, whose child abuse arrest with parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke exposed a twisted tale of manipulation.

Director: Skye Borgman
Producer: Leslie Mattingly
Distributor: Netflix
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 30, 2025
Runtime: 1h 40m