There’s a wide, undeniable streak of horror present in influencer culture. You can dress it up in ring lights, lip gloss and a curated kitchen island, but the basic arrangement makes for grim reading - perform for strangers, invite judgement as a caveat for visibility, learn to brush off any negativity. Fame used to arrive with some distance built in but now it lives in your pocket, chirps at 2am and knows exactly which insecurities to poke at. Social media horror has spent the last decade trying to make sense of this nasty little arrangement. In The Troll, Brianna Lee presents a sharp, delightfully nasty take on it.
The movie follows Bethany (Lee, pulling double-duty as director and star), better known to her seven-figure following as Killa B. A hyper-curated social media superstar living alone in a pristine Long Island home, B is beautiful, adored and permanently on. Underneath the lip gloss and perma-smile, though, sits a woman who has internalised her cruel mother’s beauty codes. When one particularly vicious comment made by troubled teenager Josh Falnik under the username ‘FlyBoy420’ (newcomer Greg Saridakis) appears, B does what influencers are trained never to do - she takes it personally. What begins as digital sleuthing escalates with unnerving precision to a wicked, twisty climax that would make Black Mirror clutch its pearls.
Brianna Lee is well placed to tell this story. Since 2005 she’s racked up dozens of credits across shorts, web series and stage work, often juggling writing, directing, producing and performing duties herself. A seasoned improviser with deep roots in theatre and comedy, she’s built a reputation in New York for bold character work and a refusal to play small. The Troll may be her first feature, but it’s the work of someone who's been watching, learning and waiting for the right story to tell in longform.
The timing couldn't be better. Horror films about social media have been quietly building in both popularity and quality over the past decade. Earlier entries like Unfriended and The Den leaned into the novelty of desktop screens as cinema. Then came movies like Tragedy Girls, and Like Me, which understood that the true terror wasn’t the technology but the hunger it feeds. We’ve now landed at something of a zenith, with standouts like Spree and #ChadGetstheAxe presenting a note-perfect combination of the two.
I sat down with Lee to talk about the pros and cons of social media, the journey to get her first feature made, and the true horror of The Troll. Like, subscribe, and read on…
To begin, can you tell me how the idea for The Troll came about?
Even though the story and characters are completely fictional, The Troll is heavily based on my real-life personal experiences. Most of my writing - whether it’s horror, drama, or comedy - comes from something deeply personal. The Troll was a concept I started thinking about a few years ago as my social media following began to grow, and I got my first taste of mean and hateful comments. I would talk with my creator/influencer friends who advised me to never under any circumstance fight with trolls, and to always stay pleasant no matter what. “Kill them with kindness,” “thank them for watching,” were things I was always told - nauseating Miss America approaches to essentially being bullied by strangers for no reason.
I even started reflecting on major female celebrities and how they’re attacked for every move they make, every outfit they wear, every person they date, every choice, how they age, how they gain weight, how their faces change…the list basically doesn’t end.
Women in the spotlight are constantly torn down. Scrutinized. Bullied. Strangers are so mean to them, and still they smile, thank their fans and followers, and must pretend they are unfazed by millions of people judging and hating on them.
At the end of the day, they’re human beings with feelings.
I started to imagine a world-famous popstar who was a hybrid of Britney Spears, Addison Rae and Ariana Grande, who was particularly perfect and beloved, but very damaged from years of scrutiny and pressure. I thought, what if one day, she read a particularly cruel comment…and just completely snapped. Instead of killing the troll with kindness - which she’s been trained to do - what if she simply just…killed him? What would that look like? What if she destroyed his family along the way?
It’s a killer premise. Without giving too much away, the ingenuity Killa B uses to infiltrate Josh’s life is impressive…and pretty frightening! Talk me through your writing process for this.
So there are a couple of parts to this answer. A documentary that really, really stuck with me was Netflix’s Don't F**k With Cats. In it, these internet sleuths band together to track down and find this horrible guy using only microscopic details hidden in a single video he posted online. They analyse everything; from identifying what specific part of what country the mattress was made, to zooming in on pieces of street signs in the window and identifying by where the sun is, what building he lived in, etc. It blew my mind. The idea that you could piece together enough information to identify exactly where someone is from a single video really stuck with me. I instantly wanted to write it into a script. It planted a seed in my brain that grew into this twisted psychological horror-thriller plot.
Then, when it came to Killa B’s plan for Josh’s family, it was as simple as this in my writing process - what is the most evil thing you can do to someone? Destroy their family. How would you do that? By picking apart the family members’ weaknesses one by one. The things Killa B does to the his family are diabolical. They are completely unwarranted. Nobody deserves that., let alone to do these things to someone as a reaction to reading a single mean comment! I viewed it as a challenge trying to get the viewer to possibly understand why Killa B does what she does, and maybe even sympathise with her. Writing diabolical behaviour only works if the character has a reason why they became so evil, otherwise it’s boring.
My writing process involves a lot of, “Ooooh, but what if...?” And then, “Okay, how do I make that darker? How do I add to that?” I’m not afraid to go there, and I hope the audience reacts to the strong choices I made. I’m also a massive true-crime fan, so I worked meticulously to make sure every crime aspect of the film checked out - from pinging cell phone tower locations to realistic jail sentences.
The movie is such a visual feast! What did your mood board look like in pre-production?
I am so happy to hear that, and so happy you asked! My dream was to have the film be colourful and visually extravagant, almost cartoon-like. I wanted Killa B’s world to be playfully exaggerated; a wink at the fact that in some universe, a twisted pop star like this could exist. I also wanted there to be a huge difference between the sparkly bubbly pop star scenes, and the grimmer scenes where Bethany gravitates toward the dark side. There wasn’t one single style I wanted to nail. Instead, there are several styles I pulled from different cinematic worlds I love. I love the mood, lighting, and dreamlike elements of A24 films. I love old-school '90s pop and hip hop music videos. I wanted the entire movie to have the vibe of a 90’s Missy Elliott or Busta Rhymes music video, with the on-the-nose exaggerated costuming style of a Wes Anderson film, and the over-the-top dramatic acting of a Twilight Zone episode. All of these elements influenced my vision of a cartoonish fantasy world where a hip-hop/TikTok princess could exist, and where a story like this could unfold.
You come from an extensive improv background. Did this lend itself to your direction and performance?
I owe a lot to my improv background. Studying and performing improv for so long trained me to be completely unafraid of making bold and wild choices in my writing, performing, and directing. It has also taught me not to be too tightly married to any one single idea. If a better idea presents itself, or if we want to ditch the script and try something in the moment, I’m very comfortable wiggling around, adapting and finding a new path forward. Improv trained me to be very go-with-the-flow. The “yes, and” mentality that all seasoned improvisers live by is an incredible approach to performing, directing, and really any facet of life.
“Yes, and” is the philosophy that no matter what information or situation you're handed, you accept it. You don’t deny it or focus on the negatives. You say “yes” and move forward.
The music video and accompanying song must've been a hell of a lot of fun to work on. They’re both amazingly authentic! Was their creation something that came naturally, did your work as a theatre performer help?
My brother Julian produced the title track of the film, ‘Killa B’. He is an incredible musician. He’s so talented and skilled, and he’s just a phone call away whenever I have a project that needs a song, a melody, or a beat. He’s been creating music for my projects for years. He made the beat, and I wrote the song fairly quickly. I absolutely love to rap and freestyle, and I’ve always loved writing rhymes and spitting lyrics. My older brother Justin, my greatest idol and inspiration, was an insanely sick rapper who performed all over Long Island NY. He went by Lee Kid, and I definitely inherited my love of hip hop and rapping from him. Creating music has always been so much fun for my brothers and I, and it's something we've always bonded over. I think that made the creation of Killa B feel very natural. It was a chance to combine my love of filmmaking, comedy, performance, and hip-hop all into one character. As a special shout-out to my brother Justin, I named Killa B’s record label LEE KID RECORDS. It’s a fun little Easter egg that appears in the corner of the screen when the music video begins in the film.
For the music video; like I mentioned earlier I’m inspired and influenced by ’90s hip hop -- especially the musicians and the music videos. Directing and performing in my own hip hop music video was a dream come true! My theater and comedy background helped me make it as silly as it is over-the-top. I wanted it to feel like a real hip hop song though, that could be a hit.
It felt to me like the true horror in The Troll wasn’t the toxic fan or vengeful influencer, but rather a society - and the technology - that enables both. Is this a fair interpretation?
Absolutely, 1000% yes, I wanted to put a spotlight on some larger issues within our society. I wanted to put a magnifying glass on one single woman who is representative of a massive pool: held to impossible beauty standards in the public eye; struggling with mental health issues; under constant pressure to be nice and upstanding at all times; not allowed to age. We bully our female celebrities without even realizing it. We tear female celebrities down until - in some cases - they completely lose their minds. Britney Spears was eaten alive by public scrutiny and life in the spotlight. It’s happening to Ariana Grande before our very eyes right at this moment. This is not a new phenomenon; we’ve been scrutinizing and holding women to impossible standards since Marilyn Monroe.
Online troll culture, the dark side of social media, and the danger that the anonymity of the internet allows are definitely things that should be talked about. The Troll is not a story of, “Wow, this psycho girl goes nuts and takes vengeance on a teenager!” It’s the story of all the elements of society that forced her into a place where she would snap and go on this journey. One of my goals was to have the audience sympathize with both Bethany and Josh. I wanted people to understand that they are both human beings who are hurting. Sometimes hurt people choose to hurt others. The internet is a dark place where this hurt is thriving, with no consequences. It’s scary.
What is your current relationship with social media and influencer culture, and how has this evolved from your earlier experiences with it?
I honestly love social media. You cannot deny what a powerful tool it is. I use it to promote and post all of my content and films. Without it, I would’ve never had some of the opportunities I’ve had. That being said, social media is the Wild West, and can be a very dangerous place. It’s a powerful tool yes, but can bring out the absolute worst in people. Both sides of this coin are fascinating. You have to figure out how to use social media as a tool and not let it consume your life. Get in, do your work, support your friends, then get out. Don’t let it be a reason to spend all day lying in bed comparing yourself to other people, feeling depressed about your own life.
As far as the random mean troll comments go, they used to bother and hurt me. Now I mostly find them funny. The weirdest is the occasional troll comment that causes you to be insecure about something you never even thought about yourself; “Damn, I guess my arms are too long? My eyes are too wide apart? I did look pretty tired and ugly the night I filmed that video. Thanks MarioKartLover89!” When the comments are so insanely mean for no reason, I sometimes sympathise with the people writing them. I think, God, what the hell is going on in that person’s life that compelled them to be SO malicious toward a complete stranger? I hope things get better for them…
On top of The Troll, you’ve made some fantastic horror shorts. What attracts you to the genre?
I love, love, love horror movies. Good, bad, old, new - I love them all. I have friends who are sick of when it’s my turn to pick a movie because it’s obviously going to be horror. I’ll give anything a shot. I’m attracted to the filmmaking style because once something falls into the category of horror, there are no rules! A ghost can pop up. A demon can come eat someone. Someone can have a spell put on them, or someone in the group can secretly be a killer. I love the realm of the supernatural, and the endless realm of possibilities in horror. I grew up on The Twilight Zone; it was the bible in my house, and a lot of my plots and ideas are heavily influenced by it. I absolutely love looking at the world through a philosophical sci-fi lens.
I’m also a comedian! Comedy and horror are cinematic siblings, the same gut feeling that makes you scared is a lot like the gut feeling that makes you laugh. That quick and honest reaction that you can’t help; it’s sharp, intense, visceral. It makes you feel alive.
I guess I like making people laugh and I also like scaring people. Both are great reactions to achieve from an audience.
This is your first feature-length movie. Is there any advice you would give to other filmmakers taking the leap?
Just do it! Don’t talk about that ‘film you’re thinking about making’ for years and years. Make a plan and execute it. Take the script and do a pass where you ask yourself, “Okay, is this actually filmable?” Don’t write in any crazy or big budget special effects or locations, those things don’t make a movie better. Again, think The Twilight Zone. Good story and strong acting is all you need. If you have those two things and a camera, you can crank out films. It doesn’t matter if they’re not perfect. “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good” is one of my favourite sayings. Don’t spend years toiling over one precious project. Instead, don’t be too precious and focus on building a body of work. Make tons of stuff. If you truly love it, then no matter how tiring, expensive, or laborious it is, you will have a BLAST during the process.
Great advice! What’s your favourite social media/influencer horror? For me it’s a hard call between Host and Spree, and of course the Black Mirror series always delivers. Any recommendations?
Black Mirror handles social media horror so well. I’m always so impressed and inspired by that show. I also absolutely love Ingrid Goes West with Aubrey Plaza. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. It really hits home the obsession with social media that we all have, as well as the loneliness and isolation that some people experience because of it.
What do you hope people take away after watching The Troll?
There’s an age-old saying; if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all! This should be the takeaway. Even though you’re anonymous behind your screen, doesn't mean there isn’t a human being on the other side reading your words. Be kind. We have to be better at being kind to each other.
What’s next for you, anything coming soon that we should keep an eye out for?
Yes! I have a new crime thriller short called Scene Partner in post-production. I’m almost finished editing, and can’t wait to get it onto the festival circuit. Then in October I’m releasing new horror shorts as part of my annual series, Halloween Nights. I typically write them over the summer, film them in August/September, then release five or six of them in the weeks leading up to Halloween. The project ’m probably most excited about is my new feature-length sci-fi drama script, Everlong. I am so incredibly proud of this project and can’t wait to start thinking about casting and filming dates. Other than that, stay tuned for my weekly comedy videos on TikTok and Instagram!
Brianna, thank you! ❤️ 😊 🙌
With The Troll, Lee really nails what it feels like to live under the relentless pressure of influencer culture - the impossible standards, the fake niceness everyone expects, and the way women in the spotlight are just supposed to shrug off abuse. At the same time, she never lets her main character off the hook for crossing the line. Balancing all that isn’t easy, but she pulls it off with confidence and a wicked sense of humour.
The Troll deserves to reach as big an audience as possible. There’s plenty for horror fans to dig into and sharp social commentary that'll spark conversation, presented with a sly grin that keeps it from getting too heavy. The best part? It marks Brianna Lee as a director to keep an eye on. She’s got a strong point of view and the skills to back it up, even when working within a tight budget. If this is what she can do with her debut feature, it’s exciting to think about what she'll come up with next.
The Troll is showing at the Raindance Film Festival on Sat 20 – Sun 21 June. You can follow Brianna on Instagram at @briannatothelee, and read more about her many, many projects at briannaleecomedy.com.
Brianna Lee
Brianna is an Asian-American actor, writer and filmmaker from Long Island, New York. She trained at the Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Training Center in New York City and has performed live improv and sketch comedy across NYC and Los Angeles. Writing and producing short films and comedy projects since 2005, her short film The Professional won the "Best of the Fest: Short Short" Award at the 2019 LA Indie Film Festival. In July 2025, her short film Be Careful What You Wish Forwon "Best Concept" at the Northern Horror Film Festival. Her online comedy videos have earned millions of views on TikTok and Instagram.
