Netflix's latest true-crime documentary, Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story, revisits the harrowing case of a Utah life coach convicted of extreme child abuse. Directed by Skye Borgman, known for Abducted in Plain Sight and The Girl in the Picture, the film examines how Hildebrandt and influencer Ruby Franke subjected two children to severe maltreatment.
The documentary opens with a 12-year-old boy arriving at a stranger's door, malnourished and covered in injuries. Police detective Jessica Bate recounts how the boy's escape led to the discovery of his sister, shaven-headed and hiding in a closet, at Hildebrandt's home. Officers found ropes, handcuffs, and other evidence of abuse.
Hildebrandt, a life coach approved by the Church of Latter-day Saints, used her position to control clients, inducing shame about sexual desire and separating couples. Ruby Franke, a popular Mormon influencer, fell under Hildebrandt's sway and participated in the abuse, believing it was for Christ. The children's mother, Franke, was later convicted alongside Hildebrandt.
County attorney Eric Clarke, an LDS member, provides commentary on how religious training can make individuals susceptible to extreme leadership. However, the film does not explore this theme deeply enough to transcend the genre's voyeuristic tendencies. Critics question whether such grim content should be produced at all.
