"I didn't make you do anything that wasn't in you already. People are such hypocrites. They walk through their whole lives playing innocent to the day they die, but they're not innocent. I showed you that." We watched "Bad Influence" (1990) with our friend, film writer, and author, Quatoyiah Murray, and we are all vying for President of the James Spader fan club. This may be a lesser-known entry in Spader's film resume, but it is definitely worth the watch. We all came to the same conclusion - this movie is "Single White Female" coded. And by that, we mean - super queer. Rob Lowe is serving FACE as the possibly bisexual, definitely cuckoo Alex who takes an unhealthy interest in Spader's nebbish proto-finance bro, Michael. The two of them get into some "Talented Mr. Ripley”-esque shenanigans against a backdrop of early 90's Los Angeles. And we are talking, UBER LA here - Michael’s apartment looks like the background of a Patrick Nagel print. It's tough to feel bad for either of these characters when they appear fairly well off, and they're both serving up face cards that would never get declined. If you love an erotic thriller with a slow jazz score with beautiful male protagonists that would definitely get into some romantic entanglements (at least in the fanfic), then this movie is for you. 

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Episode ID: 1000714770527

GUID: b953ba5d-672e-46f5-bba6-40b46b25252c

Release Date: 27/06/2025, 12:08:00