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The Influence

The Influence

201999 minTV-MAMidcredits score: 6th percentile of all films
Director
Denis Rovira van Boekholt
Starring
Manuela Vellés, Maggie Civantos, Alain Hernández, Emma Suárez

After moving back to her family home to care for her dying mother, a nurse haunted by her childhood memories must struggle with an evil force in the house.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Influence?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Influence streaming on Netflix.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Influence?

The Influence earns 2 badges, led by Box Office Flop and Award Nominee.

Reception

Is The Influence worth watching?

The Influence's Midcredits score is the 6th percentile of all films, from 14K ratings across 4 sources. 16% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

6th percentile

Better received than 6% of films

28th percentile among Horror6th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)11th
Approval (how many liked it)4th

46 /100

11th percentile of all films

41st percentile among Horror13th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

The crowd leans negative, with most ratings sitting in the bottom half of the scale.

16% liked it

4th percentile of all films

21st percentile among Horror4th percentile among 2010s
16% rated it 7–1084% rated it 1–6

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 1 noms overall

73rd percentile

14K ratings across platforms

72nd percentile among Horror76th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 16% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$4.5M
Worldwide gross$588K

Returned 0.1× its budget — 53rd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps acknowledge the film's atmospheric, slow-burn European horror style, but disagree on whether it's effectively creepy or merely tedious.

Fans praised

  • atmospheric and dark visual style with gothic house setting
  • strong cast and child performances, especially Claudia Placer
  • effective slow-burn tension and genuinely creepy moments

Detractors panned

  • confusing, disjointed plot with too many genre shifts
  • boring and agonizingly slow pacing
  • derivative of other horror films, full of clichés

What stands out

Atmosphere75

dark gothic house, eerie mood, effective for fans; detractors find it overly dark

CinematographyDivisive62

good visual craft, lighting praised and panned as too dark

ActingDivisive61

solid Spanish cast, child actors praised; some detractors call acting subpar

TensionDivisive45

slow-burn builds for fans; boring and unscary for detractors

OriginalityDivisive30

derivative of Hereditary, full of horror clichés

CharactersDivisive30

forgettable characters with poor development and dumb decisions

Plot and storyDivisive28

convoluted and predictable, too many story threads

PacingDivisive25

agonizingly slow, disjointed rhythm

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Influence like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Scary: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want to be scared.

It takes its time and leaves you unsettled. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Scary.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseDreadMelancholic
Heaviest: middle
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film presents its supernatural horror with earnest gravity, treating the witchcraft and family trauma with grim seriousness.
The rideThe film builds a sustained atmosphere of dread and tension, with the heaviest emotional pressure concentrated as Nora's behavior changes and the occult threat grows.
StructureThe story unfolds in a conventional chronological order as Alicia moves back, discovers her mother's witchcraft, and races to save her daughter.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

UnsettlingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a lingering unease about inherited trauma and the dark persistence of the mother's influence.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterTyrant
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% (this title) · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeA family returns to care for a comatose mother who is a witch; her supernatural influence threatens the granddaughter, leading the protagonist to uncover her dark history and fight to save her child.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% (this title) · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsTrauma · 7% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film examines how a family's dark history of abuse and witchcraft threatens to repeat itself through a new generation.
StanceThe film presents the trauma of abuse and its supernatural echoes as a dangerous inheritance that threatens to consume the next generation, functioning as a warning about the cost of unresolved family pain.

The world

ContemporarySuburbanDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernAmbientSupportive music · original score · Arnau Bataller
Settinga small coastal town in Asturias, within the family's dark house
MusicBataller's score likely underscores the growing menace and emotional weight of the family drama.

Content guide

Is The Influence okay for kids?

TV-MA

The Influence is rated TV-MA. As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (82/100), sexual content at moderate (38/100), language at intense (67/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (7/100) and frightening material at intense (63/100). Its language has too few votes to rank. Overall it is heavier than 57% of TV-MA films.

Ratings in 3 other countries
  • Poland16
  • SingaporeR21
  • Spain18
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 69% of all filmsHeavier than 57% of TV-MA films
Violence & Gore
Severe
typical for a TV-MA film
heavier than 71%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA film
heavier than 42%
Profanity
Intense
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
light for a TV-MA film
heavier than 5%
Frightening / Intense
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA film
heavier than 58%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Influence have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Influence?

Cast

Manuela Vellés
as Alicia
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Maggie Civantos
as Sara
Alain Hernández
as Mikel
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Emma Suárez
as Victoria
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Daniela Rubio
as Luna
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Ramón Esquinas
as Abuelo
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Felipe García Vélez
as Tío Pedro
Mariana Cordero
as Srta. Mejido
Marta Castellote
as Ana
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Carles Cuevas
as Fran

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Influence?

Movies like The Influence include The Binding (2020), Wendigo (2001) and Chhorii (2021). Of the 12 closest matches, all are folk horror films and films that feel dread-filled.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 12 share its feel: brooding. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Influence?

842 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: folk horror. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.