‘Lurker’ Review: Celebrity Obsession Reaches New Heights in the Modern Age
MUBI
Since the birth of "Beatlemania" in the mid-1960s, celebrity fixation has risen decade after decade, culminating in the contemporary with many fan folk centering their entire personalities around pop culture figures like Taylor Swift. Thanks to the advent of social media –– which celebrities often utilize to come across as more human –– fandom has taken on an entirely different connotation (why do Swifties call her by her first name as though they know her personally)? This intention of becoming a more accessible public figure has taken on a new meaning: a newfound entitlement from fans that has blurred the lines between the public and private lives of the idols they worship. In his filmmaking debut, Lurker, Alex Russell grapples with this blossoming fandom that treads into twisted obsession. Lurker stars arthouse regular Théodore Pellerin and Saltburn breakout Archie Madekwe as a musician on the rise and his newfound groupie who enter an increasingly psychological game of cat and mouse.
Pellerin leads Lurker as Matthew, a sheepish retail worker on Los Angeles's trendy Melrose Avenue. One ordinary day, Oliver (Madekwe), an indie pop singer whose mid-sounding music is reminiscent of Omar Apollo mixed with The 1975, enters Matthew's place of work, with the latter hurrying to put on an oldie that he knows is one of Oliver's favorites (probably from interviews Matthew has seen or read). Matthew feigns unfamiliarity with Oliver's career, which draws the singer closer to him: a "real person" instead of a fan. Oliver grabs Matthew's cell number and invites him to a performance later that day. Arriving backstage among Oliver's close circle of friends, Matthew unabashedly kicks off his introduction with an act that exhibits how far he will go to be integrated into the group. Oliver's manager, Shai (Havana Rose Liu), advises Matthew to "try to make yourself useful" to the singer.
Matthew continuously feeds Oliver's ever-growing ego, which lands him a gig filming a behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of his upcoming second album. Oliver's friends (played by the likes of Abbott Elementary's Zack Fox and Daniel Zolghadri) initially seem suspicious of Matthew's entrance to their circle, but that does not matter to the focal characters, who soon adopt the pet names of Ollie and Matty for one another. Thinking he has got his in with the "cool crowd," Matthew quits his job at the clothing store and begins ignoring the caring grandmother he lives with. Yet, signs begin to arise that pinpoint the instability the clinger faces in this new world, one he does not truly belong to. On an impromptu trip to London, where Oliver is performing in front of his hometown crowd and shooting his album cover, a bungled "accident" perpetrated by Matthew upon his only friend from his former life (played by Sunny Suljic) leaves him persona non grata with Oliver's constantly evolving company.
Lurker soon takes increasingly dark and desperate turns as Matthew attempts to reenter Oliver's private life and resume their friendship. Matthew conducts a crooked act of scheming manipulation that flips the script entirely, leaving him a dominion over Oliver's world that he could have never possessed before. Matthew transforms from a wannabe outsider to the man behind the musician with a queasy insight that borders on maniacal, with Oliver submitting to such conduct firstly in the protection of his stardom but then in a finale setpiece that reflects his desire to be adored in avoidance of loneliness at the top.
Best known for his credits as a producer on shows such as Beef and The Bear, Lurker is Russell's confident and compelling feature film debut. The movie calls attention to his knack for directing performances and creating a spirit brimming with tension as it pushes forward. While cinematic concepts built around celebrity obsession are nothing radically fresh, the writer/director brings them to the contemporary and puts the male psyche at the core of a fixture often constructed around female figures or male/female dynamics on the silver screen. Collaborating with cinematographer Pat Scola, Russell's vision of Los Angeles transforms from sun-dazzled to sun-bleached with intriguing nods to neo-noir through the movie's grainy look and fixation with the conflicted visages of its central performers.
Pellerin's under-appreciated skill as an actor finally gets its chance to shine at the center of Lurker. Through his architectural bone structure and slender frame, the Quebec native knows how to utilize his physicality to maximum effect as Matthew's character evolves from a lonely young man begging to be seen and accepted to a master manipulator underscored by an unhingedness that the film's screenplay chooses to leave a shady mystery, thankfully. While never really hitting the mastery of Pellerin's interpretation, Madekwe also commits to his own transformation through Oliver's character. All ego at the start (and ultimately the end), Madekwe transmits this image of a pop star who never really listens to others but demands attention constantly. As Matthew's character takes hold of Oliver's vision as an artist, both can commune over grappling with a masculine desire to be recognized on their terms.
Russell's Lurker may not reinvent the wheel or push the boundaries into unknown territory, but why should it have to? Despite possibly feeling a bit lopsided in structure—devoting more time to its first half and neglecting its second, which is by far more fascinating—the film works as an exploration of fame and isolation from both sides of the coin, boosted by assured direction and performances that propel the work into clever territory that is incredibly watchable and easy to stick with throughout its 100-minute runtime.
3.5/5
'Lurker' world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where it was picked up for U.S. distribution by MUBI. The film will be screened in Berlinale's Special Gala section on February 21, marking its European premiere. Focus Features has international rights to 'Lurker.'