Keep your friends close and your music closer. A gripping slow-burn tale about the thin line between devoted fandom and dangerous obsession, LURKER fittingly worms its way under the viewer’s skin as retail employee Matthew (Théodore Pellerin) insinuates himself within musician Oliver’s (Archie Madekwe) inner circle. Writer and director Alex Russell, who has produced and written for critically acclaimed series The Bear and Beef, makes a confident feature directorial debut with this sharp critique of modern fame and social media celebrity, which was previously featured on the influential Black List. Pellerin and Madekwe leave a lasting impression, embodying the shifting power dynamics of Matthew and Oliver’s relationship in committed performances that mark them as stars on the rise.
“A transfixing morality tale cleverly turned on its head…. The movie’s greatest feat is its attention to the nuances of how these men use mocking or scorn to ascend a rung on their narrow social ladder.” —Natalia Winkelman, IndieWire (Critic’s Pick) “Thirty years ago, a premise like this one might have been the fuel for a conventional Hollywood thriller. But Alex Russell…works with a highly accomplished jittery cell-phone-camera aesthetic that makes the entire movie a mirror of what it’s about: the fleeting I-shoot-a-video-of-myself-therefore-I-am celebrity that’s become the coin of the realm in the Instagram era.” —Owen Gleiberman, Variety “Small details help to paint a picture of how such an unassuming acolyte could come to shape a musician’s career so thoroughly. Russell leaves his film thrillingly open to the idea that Matthew could potentially be vindicated, vilified, or even excused — just never fully explained.” —Marshall Shaffer, Slant Magazine
