Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story

2025

Action / Crime / Documentary

6
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Spilled 49% · 50 ratings
IMDb Rating 6.1/10 10 3522 3.5K

true crime crime documentary disgusted

Director

Skye Borgman Photo
Skye Borgman

Top cast

Chad Franke Photo
Chad Franke as Self - Ruby & Kevin's Eldest Son
Ruby Franke Photo
Ruby Franke as Self - Jodi's Friend & Business Partner
Kevin Franke Photo
Kevin Franke as Self - Ruby's Husband
Shari Franke Photo
Shari Franke as Self - Ruby & Kevin's Eldest Daughter
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB 2160p.WEB.x265
941.64 MB
1280*536
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  ar  cz  dk  de  gr  es  fi    fr  il  hr  hu  id  it  ja  kr  ms  no  nl  pl  pt  ro  ru  sv  th  tr  uk  vi  cn  
23.976 fps
1 hr 41 min
Seeds 19
1.88 GB
1920*804
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles us  ar  cz  dk  de  gr  es  fi    fr  il  hr  hu  id  it  ja  kr  ms  no  nl  pl  pt  ro  ru  sv  th  tr  uk  vi  cn  
23.976 fps
1 hr 41 min
Seeds 49
4.55 GB
3840*2160
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles us  ar  cz  dk  de  gr  es  fi    fr  il  hr  hu  id  it  ja  kr  ms  no  nl  pl  pt  ro  ru  sv  th  tr  uk  vi  cn  
23.976 fps
1 hr 41 min
Seeds 26

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by Sleepin_Dragon 6 / 10

Sick and twisted.

A man calls 911 to report that a boy has arrived at his home in a shocking state - malnourished, bruised and covered in tape. Investigator Jessica Bate arrives on the scene and begins to unravel a deeply disturbing story.It's an interesting documentary, and largely informative, clearly laying out the who, what and how. However, it does wander, and at times it feels more interested in sensationalising the story than simply telling it.This is a sick and twisted case, involving two women who were allowed to abuse children through starvation, restraint and control. It's genuinely gut-wrenching, and you're left asking how this was allowed to happen. Religious extremism? I'll leave you to decide.One issue is the focus - at times the horrors faced by the children feel slightly lost, which is troubling given the subject matter.It certainly highlights how influential someone can be, and Jodi's ability to manipulate and warp those around her feels uncomfortably close to brainwashing.The pacing is another problem. It jumps from scene to scene at a frantic rate, making it difficult to properly absorb what you're being told.You're also left asking how a therapist could afford to live in a $5 million house. How does a world exist where that's possible? And are some of these people actually living in the real world?Overall, it's interesting but frustrating.6/10.
Reviewed by bikerpaul68 7 / 10

Systemic failures

This is indeed a deeply disturbing documentary. However I agree that some issues could have been explored in more depth, notably the role played by the Church of Latter Day Saints, and the lack of a regulatory framework for "therapists". Long before the horrendous events portrayed, Hildebrandt was sanctioned by the professional body of therapists for breaking client confidentiality, but she got round this by calling herself a "life coach" instead and selling her services (at high prices) on the internet. This allowed her to prey on vulnerable people with the Church's tacit approval.On the other hand, the filmmakers were surely right to protect the privacy of the two children involved. You can only hope that they will be able to overcome the extreme trauma they suffered, if necessary with the help of _qualified_ therapists.
Reviewed by TheMovieSearch 7 / 10

This is gut, wrenching to know that this actually happened

Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story is a deeply disturbing and emotionally exhausting documentary that exposes the horrifying reality behind a woman who used her position as a therapist-and the shield of religious extremism-to abuse and torture children under the guise of "treatment." This is not sensationalized entertainment; it is a brutal recounting of real trauma inflicted on real kids.The documentary details how Hildebrandt, living in a million-dollar home and presenting herself as a moral authority, created a so-called therapy program where children were isolated, starved, controlled, and psychologically broken for months at a time. Knowing this actually happened makes the experience far more painful to watch. The images, testimonies, and details are gut-wrenching, and at times difficult to process.What makes the story even more unsettling is how easily her behavior was enabled. The series highlights how religious extremism and blind obedience can be weaponized, allowing abuse to flourish when people are taught not to question authority. Hildebrandt isn't portrayed as misunderstood or complex-she is shown plainly as someone who used power, faith, and fear to manipulate and harm vulnerable children.This documentary is heavy, upsetting, and necessary. It will make your heart ache and your blood boil. It's not something you casually watch for entertainment, but something you watch to understand how dangerous unchecked influence can be. Evil Influencer serves as a warning about how easily abuse can hide behind religion, therapy language, and social respectability. Be prepared-it's a difficult watch, but an important one.
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