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Scheduled to premiere globally on October 31, 2025, Bad Influencer is Netflix’s newest South African crime drama that reverberates with themes of ambition, deception, and the dangerous allure of social prestige. Produced by Gambit Films, the series is set in a society deeply obsessed with appearances where what you show online can be just as important as what you do in real life.

At its heart, Bad Influencer centers on BK, a single mother in financial trouble and small-time con artist, played by Jo-Anne Reyneke. She enters into a scheme with Pinky (Cindy Mahlangu), an aspiring influencer, to sell counterfeit luxury handbags online so BK can escape her debts.

What begins as a risky hustle soon escalates. The counterfeit business draws the attention of a ruthless crime boss and the police, bringing danger at both the underworld level and from law enforcement. This double threat forces BK and Pinky to juggle dual identities: the glamorous, curated influencer image, and the darker criminal reality lurking behind their operation. What begins as a risky hustle soon escalates. The counterfeit business draws the attention of a ruthless crime boss and the police, bringing danger at both the underworld level and from law enforcement. This double threat forces BK and Pinky to juggle dual identities: the glamorous, curated influencer image, and the darker criminal reality lurking behind their operation.

Netflix’s growing African slate has included content exploring corruption, identity, power, and now Bad Influencer adds a fresh angle by shining a light on fraud, fame, and survival in a digital-obsessed era. With its ambitious storyline, strong cast, and themes that feel very current, Bad Influencer looks set to be one of the more talked-about South African releases of 2025. Its blend of crime, drama, and cultural critique should appeal not only to local audiences but to viewers globally who are interested in the consequences of social media, image, and the often unseen cost of keeping up appearances.

The post ‘Bad Influencer’: A Glamorous Crime Drama with Real Stakes appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

Breaking into Hollywood can feel like navigating a maze with no map especially for Black students looking to make their mark behind the scenes. But now, one of the industry’s most respected executives is offering a guiding hand.

Jeff Friday, the visionary founder of the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) and CEO of Nice Crowd, has launched Ask Jeff, a new mentorship initiative designed to give African American college students — particularly those attending HBCUs — free career advice and professional guidance.

This isn’t your average career program. Ask Jeff offers students the rare chance to connect one-on-one with Friday himself, gaining insight from a leader who’s spent nearly three decades building pathways for Black talent in entertainment. Students can submit an interest form, upload their resumes, and send in their questions to get started. Once selected, they’ll schedule a personalized virtual session with Friday for tailored mentorship and industry insight.

The idea for Ask Jeff was born out of a real moment. In 2023, Friday delivered the commencement address at Howard University’s School of Communications and told graduates to reach out if they ever needed advice. Many took him up on it, asking about everything from breaking into the business side of film to navigating networks and opportunities. That outpouring of curiosity and ambition sparked the idea to turn his open-door offer into a formal platform for students nationwide.

Through Ask Jeff, students can ask about careers in distribution, marketing, finance, management, or live event production essential areas where Black representation remains limited but crucial. While the program isn’t a job placement service, it offers something far more valuable: trusted, hands-on mentorship from someone who’s been where they are and climbed all the way up.

“For nearly three decades, my mission has been to create pathways for Black talent in Hollywood,” Friday shares. “Ask Jeff is my way of extending that mission directly to students who are hungry for advice and perspective. When I graduated from business school and wanted to break into entertainment, there were very few people I could turn to for career guidance—especially on the business side. I just want to make sure today’s students have more resources than I had.”

With Ask Jeff, Friday continues his legacy of empowerment — cultivating the next generation of Black executives, producers, and industry leaders who will shape the future of entertainment. Questions to Jeff Friday can be directed via Google form HERE

The post Jeff Friday Launches “Ask Jeff” — A Free Mentorship Platform for HBCU Students Pursuing Careers in Entertainment appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

Donald Trump and his supporters continue to reach new lows as their demands for making America “great again” reach atrocious limits. This time, they are attacking Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny and raising objections towards his upcoming performance at the halftime show for next year’s Super Bowl LIV.

Leading the anti-Bad Bunny movement from the front is United States Representative and vocal Trump supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene. On several occasions, Greene has expressed her dissatisfaction over the musician being selected for the event while attempting to hide her racism and xenophobia. However, of late, she is making no effort at masking her true thoughts about him.

We are just over a month and a half away from the long-awaited series finale of Stranger Things. A supernatural adventure that has sucked us in for almost a decade, we watched as our favorite Hawkins heroes battled against the wrath of the Upside Down. Much like the cast, many of us have grown up over the course of the show. For fans, it truly became a defining period in our lives. Now, the epic saga finally comes to a close, a journey we really don’t want to see end.

Nearly nine years since the explosive series began, the cast looks back to where it all started, reminiscing on some of the most iconic moments from Season One. You can watch the full video below.

In the video, the cast rewatches episodes from the inaugural season, providing personal commentary as they revisit key moments. To the delight of fans, the series’ stars shared some pretty fun behind-the-scenes moments and cool tidbits.

The Cast Shared Stories of D&D and Genuine Friendships

The core four of the series often played the popular role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons. In fact, the game is central to the overall storyline. Unlike his character, Caleb McLaughlin shared that he has never joined a campaign in real life. In contrast, Gaten Matarazzo and Finn Wolfhard have both conquered their fair share of dungeons.

“It’s pretty fun when you’re not the Dungeon Master,” Wolfhard said. “You just have to be committed to staying with the bit.”

It’s easy to see that the experience has built genuine, lifelong friendships between the cast. I mean, when you spend so much time with a group of people, you inevitably get close. McLaughlin and Matarazzo shared that they would roughhouse a lot on set, smacking each other before takes. “They had to tell us to stop because our faces were getting red,” Matarazzo said.

Stunts Didn’t Always Go According to Plan

Stranger Things is full of wild stunts and special effects that bring the interdimensional aspect to life. That calls for some pretty creative practical effects. One example is when Eleven crushed a Coke can. To achieve the effect, a pipe was placed underneath the can to suck the air out. Millie Bobby Brown admitted that it was “the coolest effect” she had ever seen.

One of the biggest stunts of Season One was Eleven’s epic car flip, which the cast admitted didn’t quite go as planned. Instead of leaping into the air, the vehicle skidded along the road, crashing into a mailbox, camera, and prop car.

Sometimes, the effects were so realistic that they even scared the cast. In Chapter Eight, a Demogorgon crashed through a classroom after Dustin set Eleven down on a table. The scene spooked Brown so much she tried to leave.

“They put a speaker in the cabinet behind us and played a shrieking — I think the velociraptor noise from Jurassic Park — and it worked really, really well,” Matarazzo explained. “Millie got so scared that she jumped off the table and ran towards the door.”

Season One Profile Icons Have Arrived At Netflix

Seeing our favorite Hawkins heroes reminisce about Season One isn’t the only thing getting fans excited for the big finale. Now, Netflix users can embrace 1983 Hawkins with eleven new profile icons of their favorite characters from the first season. Check them out below.

First Look at Exclusive Season One Episode Posters

To add to the anticipation, Netflix has rolled out brand new Season One poster art inspired by the first eight episodes. Each one incorporates unique details from the show and includes the title of the episode which inspired it. The intricate designs were created by the very talented Billy the Butcher, who previously created images for Season Four.

Click To View Gallery

When Can I Watch Season 5?

Stranger Things 5 will release in three parts. Volume One hits Netflix on November 26, followed by Volume Two on December 25, and the much-anticipated final episode drops on December 31. Each part releases at 5 PM PT.

For now, take the fun nuggets you’ve learned from this post and rewatch the series along with the cast. If you tackle an episode a day starting October 23, you’ll finish just in time before the monumental three-part finale begins.

The post Cast of STRANGER THINGS Looks Back On Season One appeared first on Nerdist.