Bad Influence (1990) on Netflix
A shy executive, Michael Boll, cannot prove that his rival Patterson hid his missing work data. A stranger rescues him in a bar, then turns up on a pier as Alex.
- Netflix3.2/5
- IMDb6.3/1011,770 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes65%
Trailer
Plot summary
Michael Boll is a shy, socially awkward executive. Important work data has gone missing, and he is certain his coworker Patterson, his rival for a senior position, hid it, though he cannot prove it or bring himself to accuse him. His fiancée Ruth talks about their coming wedding, which only adds to his anxiety. At a bar in Hermosa Beach he offers a drink to a woman whose wallet is missing; her abusive boyfriend assaults him, and a stranger appears and drives the man off with a broken beer bottle, then vanishes. Michael's older brother Pismo arrives asking for money. Later, jogging to Hermosa Beach Pier, Michael finds the stranger, who introduces himself as Alex. Over drinks Alex tells him he should get the best of Patterson.
Cast
- Tony Maggioas Patterson
- Palmer Lee Toddas Naked Woman
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Bad Influence (1990)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Rob Lowe's first reaction to the Bad Influence script was to play the seducer Alex, but he was nervous the character had no arc and chose the protagonist Michael instead, until screenwriter David Koepp persuaded him to switch back to Alex.
- During rehearsals for Bad Influence, Rob Lowe became embroiled in a public scandal when news broke of a videotape he had made having sex with two women, one of whom was sixteen.
- Bad Influence holds a first for writer David Koepp: it was the first film for which he received sole screenplay credit.
