Lurker

Since the days of Entourage, the ecosystem surrounding young stars has captivated audiences. Lurker, the feature debut of Alex Russell, channels that fascination into an unnerving, slow-burn thriller exploring the boys’ club of fame, the allure of exclusivity and the parasitic nature of social climbers.

Both a sharp industry satire and a psychological character study, the film unfolds across Hollywood Hills mansions, Shoreditch clubs and green rooms, capturing the vapid glamour of modern celebrity through the eyes of its titular lurker, Matthew (Théodore Pellerin). An aspiring artist, Matthew quickly ingratiates himself into the life of rising pop star Oliver (Archie Madekwe). What begins as an innocuous backstage invite soon spirals into something darker as Matthew embeds himself within Oliver’s entourage of devoted employees and brash young friends. Russell cleverly examines the dynamics of young male camaraderie in fame’s orbit, where acceptance is transactional and hierarchy is enforced through casual cruelty.

Russell sidesteps the typical pitfalls of the genre by resisting the temptation to overanalyse Matthew’s psyche, instead presenting him as calculated, with something more sinister lurking beneath his awkward exterior. Pellerin’s performance is both unnerving and captivating, as Matthew’s presence oscillates between desperation and insecurity, shifting from social awkwardness to chilling calm in an instant. His vacant yet calculating gaze paints a striking portrait of obsession in the digital age.

Crucially, Lurker is less concerned with a simple rise-and-fall narrative than with exploring the dynamics of power – who wields it, who exploits it and how easily it shifts. The film’s use of digital media is particularly effective, emphasising Matthew’s voyeuristic documentation of Oliver’s life. The score pulses with subtle energy, while cinematographer Pat Scola’s lens captures the inauthenticity and exclusivity of these spaces with a detached, almost clinical eye.

As the film illustrates, fame is a delicate illusion, sustained by fragile egos and even flimsier friendships. By the time it reaches its inevitable reckoning, Lurker has transcended its psychological-thriller trappings to become something far more incisive: a study of fame’s fragility in the social media era. Russell’s directorial debut is a remarkable balancing act: funny, unsettling and strikingly contemporary. And while the movie may centre on an interloper, it firmly establishes Russell as a filmmaker to watch.

Christina Yang

Lurker does not have a release date yet.

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