(Credits: Netflix)

Bad Influence is not the kind of film you casually throw on in the background. This Netflix romantic drama grabs you early, holds tight, and keeps pushing you until the final few minutes. And, even then, it does not tie things up in a neat little bow. The ending is part chaos, part catharsis which is exactly what makes it work so deliciously.

The Spanish-language thriller follows Reese Russell, a young ballerina who is being stalked. Her father, Bruce, is the overprotective rich type who wants solutions fast, so he hires Eros Douglas, an ex-con, to watch over her. The dynamic between Reese and Eros is predictably rocky at first. While she leads a guarded life and is full of teenage angst, he is quiet and clearly carrying guilt. But somewhere in the middle of all the surveillance and suspicion, something real starts growing between them.

And that is the heart of the film. Yes, there is a stalker and, yes, there is danger. But this is not just a thriller-mystery. It is about connection, trauma, and whether two people broken in completely different ways can help each other heal.

The twist comes when we learn that the stalker is actually Peyton, Eros’ friend and roommate. Turns out it isn’t just random revenge but tied to a fire that broke out 16 years ago at Bruce’s restaurant, where both their parents worked. The fire left them both orphans, with the young Eros carrying the blame in lieu of Bruce’s negligence. Peyton, who survived, is haunted by the past and furious that Eros somehow got to move forward while she stayed stuck. However, during the showdown, we learn that her real grievance has always been with Bruce.

The final confrontation is brutal, which sees Peyton confront Reese with a gun. Bruce, in a rare moment of decency, steps in and is killed in the process. Reese escapes alive but is thoroughly shaken. And Peyton’s spiral ends there, with every lie and secret exposed in one violent moment.

After that, Bad Influence slows down, and the noise fades. Reese leaves a voicemail for her dad, telling him she got into the dance company she was aiming for, knowing he will never hear it; she keeps going, even in grief. And then, she meets Eros again.

Do they end up together?

That last scene is quiet. There is no dramatic music, nor any grand declarations. Just two people sitting in the aftermath, knowing they both survived something horrible. Reese reaches out to Eros, and it is clear whatever this is between them, it is real. It might not be easy and forever, but it is all what matters now.

So, the main question stands: do they end up together? The answer is yes, but not in the typical romantic sense. They are not riding off into the sunset. Instead, they are sitting in the wreckage, choosing each other with full awareness of what they have been through. It is not fantasy or escape, it is grounded and grown-up and somewhat beautiful in a subtle and very real way.

Bad Influence could have taken the usual thriller route. It could have killed off Eros or left things cold and unresolved. But instead, it chose softness and a little bit of hope amidst the carnage. And that is why the ending works. After all the darkness, the film gives its characters and us a breath, a moment of respite, a maybe. And sometimes, that is all you need.