Skip to main content

Plot

Successful LA marketing analyst Michael Boll (James Spader) seemingly has it all-except a sense of self-confidence. Enigmatic drifter Alex (Rob Lowe) enters Michael's life and immediately begins to exert a negative influence. As Michael's self-esteem zooms (aided by generous dollops of sex and drugs) he allows himself to be dragooned into a life of crime by the demonic Alex. The "doppelganger" aspects of Bad Influence, and the film's many unexpected twists and turns, echo films of Alfred Hitchcock, especially Strangers on a Train. The film's boldest stroke is to cast the likeable Lowe as the bad guy (albeit a charming one) and the often villainous Spader as the malleable milquetoast.
MPAA Rating:
Genre(s):
Drama,Thriller
Run Time:
105min.
Theatrical Release Date:
03/09/1990
DVD Release Date:
12/03/2002
Distributor(s):
Triumph
Director(s):
Curtis Hanson
Starring:
Rob Lowe , James Spader , Lisa Zane , Christian Clemenson , Kathleen Wilhoite
Themes:
Dangerous Friends
Tone:
Moody,Lurid,Menacing,Cynical,Slick
Keywords:
betrayal,cat-and-mouse,corruption,deduction [reasoning],false-accusation,frame-up,friendship,killing,rival
Country of Origin:
USA (03-09-1990)
Language:
English