Mala Influencia Ending Explained & Movie Recap: Is Bruce Dead?

Netflix and ludicrous, poorly written original romance movies are a match made in heaven—and the latest Spanish thriller, Mala Influencia or Bad Influence, corroborates that fact. Directed by Chloe Wallace, the movie tests the audience’s patience throughout its ninety-minute runtime—taking viewers through a nonsensical, if not controversial, romance; a poorly contrived revenge plot; and a shambolic representation of the theme of class disparity. The less I say about dialogues and characterization, the better, and it’s a daunting task to make head or tail of the plot. If you do make it to the end, you’ll be surprised to learn that the movie is actually an adaptation, but then again, you can only expect that much from a Wattpad fantasy story anyway. Given how bad the movie is overall, I am not sure whether this movie will appeal to its target demographic, i.e., young adults.

Spoilers Ahead

Eros, an ex-con in his mid-twenties, is approached by his past benefactor, Bruce, soon after getting out of prison. Eros lost his parents at a young age in an accident he can’t clearly remember, and since then found a new family in a foster home amidst his close buddies, Peyton and Diego. The friend trio wants to take custody of Diego’s young brother, Simon, and take him out of foster care to provide a secure, loving upbringing. Unfortunately, with Eros’ criminal past and the rest of his friends struggling with finding a footing of their own, the procedure is easier said than done. A successful restaurateur, Bruce used to be part of a foster care program that ensured every orphan child got to be in the care of a responsible adult, and as Eros grew up in the foster home, Bruce used to visit him occasionally, feigning a sense of care and compensating for his fleeting presence with money. 

At present, Bruce, being an overprotective father, wants Eros to act as a bodyguard to his seventeen-year-old daughter, Reese, a schoolgirl/trainee ballerina who has been harassed and threatened by someone unknown. It should be kept in mind that Bruce doesn’t come as a father figure in Eros’ life or seek his help as someone who shares a bond of trust—instead, he implies that coming out of jail, Eros has no other option except to take a well-paying job such as this. It’s almost as if having Bruce as a supportive figure in his life in the past, Eros is bound to adhere to his command. It doesn’t take much for the young lad to prove that he is up to the task, as he saves Reese from what could have been a horrid accident even before getting introduced to her. Eros begins to accompany Reese in her school at Bruce’s palatial mansion—something that irritates Reese much. Ever since her mother’s demise, Reese has shared an estranged relationship with her father, whose attempt to provide a privileged lifestyle to compensate for his absence in her life has turned ineffectual. At present, Reese doesn’t like the fact that her father still mollycoddles her so much that he asked a random stranger to follow her all day long to ensure her security. Being a well-known face in her school, it doesn’t take much time for gossip to spread about her and Eros, much to Reese’s dismay. She considers herself capable enough to deal with her issues, which she isn’t, given that she can’t even deal with her pestering toxic ex-boyfriend, Raul. However, on one occasion during a party, as Raul insults Reese and tries to get on her nerves, Eros deservingly threatens the brat. Reese reprimands Eros for his actions, but gradually she starts falling for him—and her friends’ constant gossiping contributes to it as well. 

Eros’ friends, Peyton and Diego, are not too fond of his new job, as they suspect Bruce of having ulterior motivations, but Eros is determined to make the best out of his circumstances for the sake of providing Simon with a childhood they themselves didn’t have. Later on, Eros introduces Reese to Peyton and Diego, and as they become acquainted with Reese’s friends as well, a noticeable class divide appears unmistakable, although the movie doesn’t dwell much on it. Reese learns about Eros’ tragic past, how despite being a six-year-old kid during his parents’ death, Eros was blamed for their demise. 

Anyway, it becomes pretty clear that Peyton has feelings for Eros, although he considers her as an elder sister. Reese continues to get anonymous threats, and on one occasion he and Eros go to Raul’s place to investigate his possible involvement—which doesn’t amount to anything. During the course of events, Eros and Reese get to know each other better and, in no time, start a passionate, secretive relationship. Bruce gets to learn about this and shares his strong disapproval, terminating Eros from his job. After all, he never entertained the possibility that a lowlife like Eros can have a future with someone socially and economically as privileged as his daughter. 

 Eros had managed to get his hands on an old photo of his parents, where he managed to identify Bruce and his wife as being present as well. As Bruce decides to sever ties with Eros after learning about his secret fling with Reese, Eros confronts him about the picture, and Bruce dodges the question by merely saying that he became friends with his parents not too long before their unfortunate demise. 

Reese, sulking in her melancholy after Eros’ departure, finds his notebook, where she sees a caricature of herself made by Eros, seemingly mocking her inability to cope with school life. Ignoring Bruce’s warning, Eros decides to meet with Reese anyway, and she confronts him about the sketch, almost implying that it was Eros who threatened her all the while, given he holds a grudge against her father. Eros comforts Reese and apologizes to her while clarifying he doesn’t have anything to do with the threats sent to her. After the brief separation, the duo rekindle and consummate their relationship. Given Reese is barely of legal age, this is surely an uncomfortable and questionable pairing. 

During the final half of the movie, a seemingly random revelation propels the plot in an altogether different direction, as viewers gradually learn about the secret about Eros’ past, which Bruce had kept hidden, and also the identity of Reese’s harasser. Reese finds out Peyton had lied to Eros about working in a bar, as she in reality works as a janitor in their school. Already on her toes by everything in her surroundings due to receiving numerous threats over the months, Reese can’t help but wonder whether Peyton is the culprit in question. She shares her observation with Eros, who is shocked to hear this wild accusation and decides to pay Peyton a visit. Even though Peyton seems a bit rattled, she denies her involvement, and a heated verbal altercation between the two results in Peyton pushing Eros away and unwittingly knocking him out. Unable to reach Eros, Reese informs her father that she is going to visit Eros and leaves. Both daughter and father end up confronting Peyton, who ultimately reveals that she was the secret stalker and harasser who used to send death threats to Peyton. It is revealed that Peyton’s mother and Eros’ parents used to work in Bruce’s restaurant, and all of them perished during the time when a fire broke out in the restaurant—all due to Bruce’s negligence of safety measures and callousness. Bruce survived the incident, but his employees who passed away left burdens for their families, as they weren’t even properly insured either. But the worst crime Bruce committed was to not take accountability for his actions and to pin the blame for the incident on six-year-old Eros. Peyton also reveals that Reese’s mother died during the incident as well, not that it factors much into the climax of the movie in any way. 

Peyton is disgusted by the upper-class snobs like Bruce, who believe that they can buy their way out of problems, manipulating the lives of underprivileged ones with indifference and disdain. She deliberately threatened his daughter to disturb Bruce’s mental peace and give him a glimpse of what people of her background have to go through almost on a regular basis. At present, Peyton holds Bruce at gunpoint, and Eros, now back to his senses, tries to stop Peyton. However, in the heat of the moment, Peyton ends up shooting Bruce to death. Needless to say, she is detained by the authorities. 

In Mala Influencia’s ending, Reese mourns her father and finds comfort seeing Eros to be a steady emotional foundation in her life. Reese slowly bounces back to her life, with her friend circle trying to act supportive towards her, and she also manages to get selected in a reputed dance ballet academy. The movie ends with Eros and Reese being present at the dance stage in everyone’s absence, indicating there is a much more liberating life waiting for Reese in the future. Unfortunately, Eros’ personal mission about getting custody of Simon remains unresolved till the end.