PARK CITY – Oh, this movie is gonna be a thing. The directorial debut of writer Alex Russell, “Lurker” is the sort of film that lingers with you for days. Especially if you’ve spent even a week working tangentially in the entertainment industry. Although that reference suggests this tale has limited appeal which isn’t the case whatsoever.
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A world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, “Lurker” starts off innocently enough. Matthew (Théodore Pellerin, pitch-perfect) works at a hip eastside LA clothing store. When Oliver (Archie Madekwe, superb), a fast-rising pop star, walks in, his co-worker Jamie (Sunny Suljic) acts like a dorky fan, but Matthew plays it cool. He immediately plays a song on the store’s speakers that speaks to Oliver (huh, now how would he know that). And in a flash, Oliver, who has been avoiding fans as he shops through the store, takes a liking to Matthew.
Invited to hang, Matthew discovers a small posse holed up at Oliver’s rented Hollywood Hills home. There’s longtime “friend” Sweet (Zack Fox), a genuinely smarter than everyone in the room manager, Shai (Havana Rose Liu), and his documentary, music video director/editor/jack of all video trades, and instantly suspicious of newcomers, Noah (Daniel Zolghadri). Oh, and whoever else just happens to be in the house that day.
Matthew is met with suspicion upon his arrival. He’s not the first to receive an invitation from Oliver and he won’t be the last. Within almost minutes Matthew witnesses Shai have a terse conversation with someone pleading to be allowed back in the house. Life in Oliver’s bubble is tenuous.
Now, Oliver is a certain type of pop star in the middle half of this century. He’s not huge, but he’s bubbling up. He has a strong online fanbase and a celebrated album, but still uses a tour bus for his gigs and is playing venues the size of The Wiltern in LA or Terminal 5 in NYC. He isn’t headlining major festivals, at least not yet. He also may be creatively stuck or anxious about his follow-up album, but we’ll get there.
Without question, everyone in Oliver’s circle has an agenda. He’s either their social ladder for their own fame or a meal ticket. Matthew isn’t exactly fitting in until he pulls out an old Hi8 recording camera to record Oliver and a buddy fooling around on bikes. When Oliver sees the footage, he’s excited. This is the aesthetic he’s been looking for, and he immediately sacks Matthew on a visibly frustrated Noah to be part of his visual team. Matthew, a struggling retail employee, carless and living with his grandmother, is “in.” But for how long?
When Jamie, a fashion designer looking for a break, unexpectedly befriends Oliver, Matthew feels threatened. Oliver has showered friendly affection on Matthew. Like many stars, it’s his charisma and not just his singing voice that has gotten him this far. When that spotlight dims, Matthew’s desperation increases, and his motivations become much more calculated.
As the story unfolds, you may end up having more sympathy for the ego-driven Oliver. Or, you may not. The pressure of needing a hit has made him willing to have strange bedfellows. There are a few twists. And one where the movie takes a truly unexpected turn. Russell throws out even more brilliant observations about the entertainment ecosystem and, of course, the price and pull of fame. It’s all one of those “tales as old as time” stories but how Russell deconstructs this phenomenon in contemporary Hollywood is close to revelatory. Even if you’ve experienced it yourself.
In a director’s statement, Russell reveals he was inspired not only by what he saw in his music industry friends but how he experienced these social dynamics specifically among young men while in college. If you live long enough, you’ll witness these behaviors in just about everyone. And of all ages too, it’s human nature, but when an attainable idol is at the center of the game, the stakes just become more intense. And in this context, it’s quite a ride. [A-]
