Southern Utah STARS In Another Disgusting Netflix Documentary!

Just hen you thought that Southern Utah can finally get a little peace and quiet, here we go again! Netflix has now dropped ANOTHER documentary based in Southern Utah: Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story. This is another documentary that drags one of the darkest, most disturbing stories in Utah history!

If the name Jodi Hildebrandt sounds familiar, it totally should! She's a former LDS-affiliated therapist who was convicted of felony child abuse alongside Ruby Franke! Franke was the beloved mom-+Youtuber behind the channel 8 Passengers! This case exploded nationally when abuse was uncovered in Jodi's Ivins mansion in August of 2023.

Netflix does what they do best, amazing sweeping drone shots of Southern Utah's gorgeous beauty. You see the gorgeous red cliffs, those gorgeous desert homes, and the postcard-esque scenery! Honestly.. It IS stunning. It shows Utah in a really beautiful light, minus the child abuse. This beauty quickly turns stomach-turning when you realize what was happening beyond the doors of Jodi Hildebrandt's mansion. The contrast is actually brutal. You get the breathtaking landscapes that are overshadowed by the acts that I can't even wrap my head around!

This isn't the first time this case has been shown on screen. In 2025 alone we got Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence on HBO Max, Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke on Hulu, and the Lifetime movie Mormon Mom Gone Wrong: The Ruby Franke Story.

For us Southern Utah locals, this documentary really does hit different. We know Ivins as a quiet, scenic area, but seeing it tied to one of the most disturbing child abuse cases, is frustrating, heartbreaking, and exhausting. Gorgeous place. Ugly Story.

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