Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Influencer’ on Netflix, Where Stars Of South Korean Social Media Congregate To Eliminate Each Other IRL

In The Influencer (Netflix), not to be confused with The Influencer (Netflix), individuals with some of the splashiest follower counts across social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok , Instagram, and the South Korea-based AfreecaTV compete in real life to be social survivors. Their starting number isn’t quite the 456 players of Squid Game , and the smart collars they are issued at the outset aren’t linked to explosives like those of the Japanese classic Battle Royale . But the initial 77 contestants on The Influencer will soon discover how cut-throat the game really is, beneath the conviviality of them mostly knowing each other from their socials. “What is this?” one participant wonders when he’s issued his collar with its digital readout. “I didn’t know it was going to be like this…”

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Influenced’ On Prime Video, A Talk Show For The TikTok Generation

Opening Shot: “There exists a group of people who were born out of your attention,” a voice says over upcoming scenes from the series, “who in turn, come to impact your decisions. These people are called Influencers.”

The Gist: An arena of sorts appears, designed like a post-modern dinner theater, with beams of purple and turquoise neon lining the walls, a stage thrust pushing down the center, and tables for drinking and eating lining the outskirts. “What does the number mean?” YouTuber BJ Changhyun asks as he is issued a neck collar. It’s an indication of his follower count – 2.28 million – and as more participants enter the room, it becomes clear that most of them are familiar with each other’s reps on social media. “Hello, I’m rising star and digital clown Qyoung,” the beauty and fashion YouTuber says. He has affixed green gems to his revealing leather outfit. “You remember the underboob trend? These days, underballs are in.” Jang Ji-sou is a YouTuber and rapper with 1.2 million followers, Sia Jiwoo causes gasps when the room takes in her 27.5 million TikTok follower count – “A lot of people are interested in my dancing and fashion” – and Pani Bottle, a prominent travel YouTuber, quickly puts two and two together. “This isn’t a fair game. If the number of followers is a factor, then I can start off well. I’m confident I can compete with the others.”

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Skywalkers: A Love Story’ on Netflix, a By-Turns Phony and Truthful Documentary About a Death-Defying Couple

But it’s not just about follower count. As all 77 participants in The Influencer gather – cosplay champion MyBoo, YouTuber Lee Yong-jin, beauty creator Seyeon – they see a leaderboard that ranks them by follower suddenly transform that number into a monetary figure. $300,000,000 won is the grand prize. But that total will be transferred between participants again and again as they are systematically removed from competition. Or as the announcer of The Influencer puts it, “the worth of the eliminated will be absorbed by the survivors.”

The first elimination round begins almost immediately. Based on anonymous voting via an app downloaded to their phones – everyone’s phone is an accessory, moreso even than whatever they’re known for on social media – participants will hand out 15 likes and 15 dislikes to their counterparts. Easy, right? Not quite, as peoples’ introductory videos are critiqued in cutaway interviews, and uneasy alliances form between YouTube content makers on one side and TikTok short-formers on the other. The Influencer begins with over 70 participants, but will cut that total nearly in half by the end of the first round. “This is turning into a war of platforms.”

CLICK HERE TO GET EMAILS FROM DECIDER

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? The question is, what “influence” are you talking about? Prime Video features Influenced , which is like a daytime talk show crossed with TikTok rizz. Netflix has that other The Influencer , a telenovela about a social media-savvy young woman’s adventures with going viral. And don’t forget about The Traitors , which shares parts of The Influencer setup: reality stars conspiring with and against each other to be banished.

Our Take: “This is a party of extroverts!” somebody exclaims early on in The Influencer . Placed in a large room together, though, they are immediately robbed of said influence. It’s the great leveling agent of having no digital like button to smash, and the demand to utilize real-life tools to advance. Now, it’s not like The Influencer is handing its participants hammers and piles of wood and telling them to build cabinets. The show’s survival games and challenge rounds revolve around social media skills like creating a photo that will make scrollers’ thumbs pause, or sustaining audience interest in a livestream for as long as possible. But the participants in The Influencer are accustomed to being singular, of gauging reactions to what each of them personally create. Which means tension arrives quickly in the series, as they realize it won’t be like making and hustling their own content. They have to build reality show-like alliances, and factor in the opposite, a mutual agreement to oust more powerful players. It’s a different skill set, and it will be interesting to see who can best blend what made them social media influencers in the first place with the age-old concept of real life human interaction.

Sex and Skin: Nothing really, besides a few clips of various influencers doing mildly saucy poses and dances on TikTok and Instagram.

Parting Shot: With less than ten minutes to vote in the first challenge, the tension in the room is palpable. Is it better to court likes, and let the dislikes fall where they may? Or is it more effective to make an impression either way? “It seemed like I would be getting eliminated anyway,” one contestant says in her cutaway. “So I decided to gamble…”

Sleeper Star: There is a ton of personality in this room – after all, it’s currency for these people. And though their number will soon be sliced by half, early standouts on The Influencer include Sia Jiwoo, Pani Bottle, and Qyoung, who is happy to plead his own case. “Whatever happens, Qyoung will be on top!”

Most Pilot-y Line: A note on gameplay from the unseen announcer: “Your follower count represents your worth. And here, your worth determines your ranking and your power. We will show you your worth calculated by the proportion of your follower count to the final prize.”

Our Call: STREAM IT. The Influencers presents a pretty novel way to inject the juice of social media into a reality show format. The participants are known for their ability to make an impression in the digital landscape. But who will handle it best, and win all of the cash, when those same skills are put to the test in real life?

Johnny Loftus ( @glennganges ) is an independent writer and editor living at large in Chicagoland. His work has appeared in The Village Voice, All Music Guide, Pitchfork Media, and Nicki Swift.

For more entertainment news and streaming recommendations, visit decider.com