Skip to content

‘Evil Influencer’ hits Netflix’s Global Top 10 as viewers flock to the disturbing true story

31/12/2025 10:44 - UPDATED 25/01/2026 13:25
Evil Influencer The Jodi Hildebrandt Story Netflix

Netflix has a true-crime documentary that is rapidly gaining global attention. Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story has climbed into Netflix’s Global Top 10, reflecting strong worldwide interest in a case that links online authority, professional credibility, and real-world abuse. The film examines the criminal investigation involving Utah therapist Jodi Hildebrandt and parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke, whose arrests exposed what Netflix describes as a “twisted tale of manipulation” rooted in child abuse.

Rather than framing the case as spectacle, Evil Influencer takes a restrained, investigative approach to power and persuasion operating in plain sight. Viewers drawn to survivor-led true-crime storytelling will recognize a similar seriousness of purpose in Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, which also centers impact over dramatization. The focus here is on how influence spreads quietly, how accountability is delayed, and why harm often escalates behind a veneer of trust. Directed by Skye Borgman, the documentary follows Netflix’s established true-crime framework: a tightly focused real-world case, a controlled runtime, and an emphasis on consequences rather than shock. Its rapid rise in the global charts underscores how stories about power, trust, and digital reach continue to resonate with audiences worldwide. Here is everything to know about Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story on Netflix.

Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story – all the key details

What Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story is about

Netflix’s official description positions the film as an unraveling of the case involving Jodi Hildebrandt, whose arrest alongside Ruby Franke exposed what the platform calls a story of manipulation. The emphasis is not on a fictionalized retelling but on a real-world timeline where authority and audience visibility become part of the problem.
You may also like ▶ Butterfly, the original Prime Video spy thriller that’s ruling the world’s Top 10

The documentary’s angle is embedded in its title: influence is treated as a force, not a backdrop. It sits in the growing subgenre of true crime that interrogates modern credibility, particularly when professional status and online reach combine to shape behavior inside families and communities.

Evil Influencer The Jodi Hildebrandt Story Netflix

Behind the scenes and production notes

The film is directed by Skye Borgman, a filmmaker known for multiple true-crime documentary projects. Industry reporting around the Netflix premiere has also highlighted the documentary’s positioning as a focused look at Hildebrandt’s role in the broader case.

Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story release date and where to watch

Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story arrived on Netflix on December 30, 2025. Watch on Netflix:

Stephen Ogongo

Stephen Ogongo

Stephen Ogongo is the main writer for Streamingmania and a senior manager at New European Media. Originally from Kenya, he previously founded and directed Afronews.eu and has taught journalism at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. His work blends editorial expertise with a deep understanding of global media and storytelling.