Netflix: Bad Influence (2025) ending explained: Who was the stalker and what happens to Reese and Eros in the final scene?

The 2025 Netflix release, Bad Influence (Mala Influencia), is a romantic thriller that interweaves the risks of obsession, family secrets' scars, and second chances. Reese Russell, a gifted teen dancer, and Eros Douglas, her former convict bodyguard, are compelled to work together by a cryptic stalker posing danger to Reese's life.

As Bad Influence hurtles toward its climax, secrets are revealed, relationships are strained, and the real bad guy comes out from behind the mask. Let's dissect the conclusion of Bad Influence, discussing who was stalking Reese, why they did it, and what the future holds for Reese and Eros.

The big reveal of Bad Influence: Who was stalking Reese?

Throughout the movie, Reese is haunted by a series of increasingly ominous threats-from a plummeting spotlight during her dance recital to a car explosion and ominous presents. Suspicion at first rests with her possessive ex-boyfriend, Raul, whose fixation and erratic behavior make him a plausible suspect.

But as the plot thickens, it becomes apparent that Raul is a red herring; his alibi holds up, and the true peril is closer than anyone imagines. The actual stalker turns out to be Eros's best friend, Peyton. Peyton was living in plain sight, employed as a janitor at Reese's school, allowing her to easily keep Reese under observation.

Her reason is intensely personal: Peyton's mom perished in a horrific fire at Bruce Russell's (Reese's dad) restaurant, the same blaze that killed Eros's parents and Reese's mom. Peyton holds Bruce responsible for the fire, which resulted from his negligence and failure to provide safety precautions.

Although Bruce attempted to make amends by providing financial support to Eros, Peyton never had closure and resorted to taking revenge by attacking Bruce's daughter.

The final confrontation and Bruce's death

As Eros reconstructs the hurt past connecting his own family, Peyton, and Bruce, he comes to know that the stalker is Peyton. In a standoff of nerves, Peyton turns up at Bruce and Reese's place with a gun, hell-bent on making Bruce pay for the past. Eros attempts to appeal to Peyton's sensibilities, to get her to forgive, but she will not listen.

In the ensuing melee, Peyton shoots and murders Bruce, ending her vendetta tragically. This discovery shakes Reese to her very core. Not only has she lost her father, despite their complicated relationship loved but she also hears the truth regarding her mother's death and the fabrications her father had fed her. The trauma of the events compels Reese to deal with her family's past and her future.

Reese and Eros: Healing and moving forward

Despite all the violence and tragedy, the movie concludes on a hopeful note. Reese and Eros spend some time away from everything after Bruce is killed. They think about all that they have been through. Reese is accepted into a top dance company, thus realizing her aspiration.

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In the last scene of Bad Influence, Reese is visited by Eros during her dance practice. Eros and Reese hug each other and dance on stage together, indicating that they have survived and that a new phase of their lives has started.

Their crisis-bred relationship is allowed to flourish in the absence of the specter of threat. The conclusion implies that even though the scars of what has happened cannot be erased, Reese and Eros are determined to heal together, to embrace hope and love rather than fear and bitterness.

Unresolved questions and ambiguities

Although Bad Influence wraps up the central plot, there are some loose ends. Peyton's final destiny following the shooting is left a little open to interpretation, and the emotional repercussions for other characters, such as Reese's friends and Eros's friends, are not addressed. The film keeps its focus on Reese and Eros, leaving secondary plot strands open to interpretation.

Bad Influence provides a thrilling combination of suspense, romance, and family drama. Its conclusion shows that the biggest threats often lie in unhealed pain and secrets close to our own. The stalker's true identity, friend in plain sight, is a warning about the price of unchecked grief and vengeance.

Even with the tragedy, Bad Influence ends with Reese and Eros finding comfort in each other's company and anticipation of a future forged by their strength and newfound hope.