The line between love and obsession is a thin one, especially in the psychological thriller genre. In writer/director Alex Russel’s Lurker, a lonely retail clerk encounters a mega-star musician by chance, launching an unexpected connection. This bond threatens to destroy both their lives as the two become intrinsically linked to one another. The lifestyle of the rich and famous is not for everyone, and clinging to fame in desperation feels perhaps even more performative. What happens when a once thriving relationship turns toxic? Fueled by captivating performances from Archie Madekwe and Theodore Pellerin, Lurker‘s messy tale of losing oneself in the spotlight of celebrity makes for a dark and compelling character study.
Matthew (Pellerin, Boy Erased, There’s Someone Inside Your House) has an initial meeting with pop star Oliver (Madekwe, Saltburn, Midsommar) that already teases a push/pull tension between the two characters. Matthew’s taste in music catches Oliver’s attention, and the fact that Matthew doesn’t even recognize the musician whilst others in the store are begging for his autograph probably helps boost the ego. Oliver invites Matthew to come see him perform that night at one of his concerts to give an outsider perspective. After all, who better to give an opinion than someone subjective, who will only take the music and performance at face value rather than yes Oliver to death. Shai (Havana Rose Liu, Bottoms, No Exit), a mysterious girl from Oliver’s inner circle, advises Matthew to stay useful if he wants to stick around. Matthew discovers a window into Oliver’s world—an intoxicating place where full access is easily given. He even naturally integrates himself into Oliver’s friend group.
House parties and tour stops become a regular occurrence, with Matthew tasked with helping form a documentary to chronicle Oliver’s life and unique perspective. What starts as flattery and creative collaboration quickly devolves into toxic dependency and, most notably, overt manipulation. The power dynamics shift, and what was once fruitful takes a turn towards rotten. Can a friendship with Oliver ever be truly genuine, or is Matthew destined to fall into a pattern of parasocial behavior? Shades of Saltburn certainly were not lost on this viewer.
This is where the real meat and potatoes of the story begins to take shape. What existed of Matthew’s life from the outside disappears underneath Oliver’s celebrity. He abruptly quits his day job to be Oliver’s documentarian. People start stopping him in the streets. His importance to the group only expands. When a friend from his old life, Jamie (Sunny Suljic, Mid 90s, The Killing of a Sacred Deer), attracts Oliver’s attention, Matthew’s obsession grows richer and more volatile. If anything, the only critique might be that the queerness could have been made more explicit. The chemistry between Matthew and Oliver is undeniable, but sometimes this teases more than it delivers.
Oliver’s charms perfectly clash with Matthew’s gleeful desperation. The script plays with their relationship over and over again, always coming up with a different victor on top. But Matthew’s obsession never dulls. What if a fan became a friend? Certainly this idea has happened in real life with celebrities before, but Lurker actually provides an insightful and frequently unnerving case of wish fulfillment. If one’s only means of existing is for someone that barely acknowledges they exist, can it truly matter at all? The obsession with celebrity culture has only compounded in recent years with the rise of TMZ and instant gratification through social media. Lurker intrigues in its depiction of one such relationship, and ends in a jarring, darkly funny exclamation mark. Stalker, fanboy, or best friend? Lurker rolls all three into one for a wicked cocktail of homoerotic male connection.
Lurker screened at 2025’s Fantasia International Film Festival, and comes to theaters on Friday, August 22nd.
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