This entertaining and eye-opening portrait of influencer culture reveals the world behind social media stardom. Handsome 16-year-old Austyn Tester wants to escape the confines of life in small-town Tennessee. In the online world he is worshipped by thousands of teenage girls, who all angle for his likes and attention during his live streams.
Director Liza Mandelup’s debut takes us into the gold-rush atmosphere of the fast-growing online world. Austyn is discovered by a manager from hell, Michael Weist, who promises him a fortune as long as he keeps selling his charm. The authoritarian Weist lives in Los Angeles in a house strewn with fast food. He shares his abode with a few of his Instagram stars, who are constantly expected to make videos. Talent is always replaceable, he says.