Lurker makes me feel alive in the worst ways (complimentary). A truly unsettling and disturbing look into the desperation one can take to feel a part of something or belong. Obsession and having that taste of acceptance and status can truly overwhelm one's whole being. Alex Russell's debut feature choked me out just the way I like it and had my entire body tingling from its horrifying, awkward tension. It's a total nailing of the current social media age and fame, portraying the extreme lengths people go to for validation and recognition. Théodore Pellerin's disturbing coming-out party that, in the simplest terms, invokes that of Norman Bates' persona in 2025. You mix in some shitty home digitival video (endearingly), dark as hell humor, and a cast that understands the uncomfortable setting they are taking part in, you get one of the best indie darlings of 2025. Thrilling stuff!
Lurker follows the story of retail worker Matthew Morning (Théodore Pellerin), who works his way into the entourage of up-and-coming pop star Oliver (Archie Madekwe). Matthew will proceed to try to fit in and earn Oliver's affection by any means necessary, continuing to move his way up the ranks in popularity and utility within the group. Matthew eventually pushes it too far and will do anything to get back to Oliver's side and be part of this Pop star's rise.
Alex Russell knows that the scariest thing in life isn't some masked killer in a closet with a kitchen knife, but the feeling of second-hand embarrassment. The anxiety and tension he's able to build here is masterful and honestly too real at times that it makes me so uncomfortable. Dozens of awkward interactions as Matthew is trying to fit in and be cool while being a total dumbass who knows nothing about art and what it means is incredible, leading to wonderfully cringe and hilarious moments in the film. The film does a fantastic job of making Matthew never truly feel comfortable, and as we, the audience, see the movie through his lens, we are never at ease. Love that!
Performance-wise, Théodore Pellerin is operating at a level of skinny weirdo we haven't appreciated in some time. You feel every piece of insecurity pouring out of him as he tries to navigate this cutthroat caste system among the Pop Stars' attention and his fixation with being at the very top. You see that evil and ambition emerge in creative ways to sabotage others in the group, leading to just a subtle smile of wicked satisfaction. I do not want to spoil the film in any way as I try not to with any of my reviews, but as the movie starts as maybe a modern telling of a parasite crawling its way into higher social circles, ie. Talented Mr. Ripley or Saltburn (boooo), the film goes up several notches when Pellerin takes power and control of all of us in the second half. We get into the head of someone whose ambition is softer but even more cynical than we could ever imagine. Archie Madekwe is fantastic as our narcissistic, out-of-touch, up-and-coming millennial Pop Star who believes every word out of his mouth has never been said and is gospel. The way the power dynamic shifts in his favor in the second half, and their fear, as well as admiration, for Matthew, is so interesting. I think his performance is the closest to capturing the current music climate and what fame can do to your head, as well as who you surround yourself with.
The direction and cinematography I'd love to gush about for a second, where Russell and Pat Scola (cinematographer) do a sick job of putting those awkward conversations blocked in a way that just wants me to scream and tell everyone to get out of there like a killer is in the room. The film's visual style, characterized by its use of awkwardly blocked conversations and unnerving silence, creates a palpable sense of tension and discomfort. There's something otherworldly unnerving when the silence of a cringe moment can feel like a millennium. Russell and Scola work in tandem with superb editing by David Kashevaroff, blending the old digital camera footage (which is so in right now) into something terrifying that feels like I should be a part of whatever is behind the scenes of this future music star. Caught by the Tides and Lurker playing on my love for old digital with sick dissolves as well. Throw in the eerie score by Kenneth Blume that makes every hangout with this entourage or interaction have your sweat glands working overtime.
Lurker will probably be my Strange Darling, where it won't make my top ten at the end of the year, but won't be leaving my thoughts for some time, and will be noodling in the back of my mind. The way Russell can excite me in uncomfortable ways makes me so excited to see what he has up his sleeve next, and I will have season tickets to anything Théodore Pellerin does next. A film that handles obsession and the emptiness of fame in 2025 better than most, by delving deep into the psychological effects of fame and the lengths people go to achieve it.
Final Score: 8.5/10
Written by Kevin J. Pettit
This is entirely anecdotal, but I went to see this with a close friend who went to film school here in Philadelphia and had moved out and worked in the industry in Los Angeles, where the film takes place. They said they became nauseous to how accurate she felt the movie got what it's really like. The fakeness, the bullshitting, the protection of one's image, and no one really giving a fuck about who you are or what you do. All appearance, no substance. She ended up giving this 5/5 on Letterboxd solely based on that alone, god bless her.