Lurker: A Parasocial Thriller That Gets Under Your Skin
Alex Russell, a writer on The Bear and Beef, just delivered one of the most uncomfortable films at Sundance, and I mean that as the highest compliment. Lurker is a jittery, cell-phone-aesthetic nightmare about a retail nobody who infiltrates a pop star's inner circle, and it's the kind of movie that makes you want to shower afterward – in the best possible way.
Théodore Pellerin is magnetic as Matthew, a Los Angeles boutique employee who latches onto rising star Oliver (Archie Madekwe) like emotional velcro. The genius of Russell's approach is that he never lets us root for Matthew, even as we're trapped in his perspective. This isn't "Talented Mr. Ripley" with a charming sociopath – this is something uglier and more recognizable, a portrait of fame-hunger so desperate it becomes physically repulsive.
What elevates this beyond typical stalker thriller territory is Russell's understanding of the ecosystem around celebrity. Everyone in Oliver's orbit is playing their own game – manager Sahi (Havana Rose Liu), band member Swett (Zack Fox), various hangers-on all jockeying for position. Matthew isn't special in his manipulation; he's just better at it. The film's best scenes show him systematically eliminating competition, using Instagram stories and casual lies to reshape reality.
Madekwe, who was brilliant in "Saltburn," brings a different energy here – taller, more imposing, but with a vulnerability that makes Oliver complicit in his own exploitation. He needs the worship as much as Matthew needs to provide it. Their dynamic shifts constantly, from mentorship to friendship to something darker and potentially sexual, though the film wisely never commits to easy definitions.
Pat Scola's cinematography captures Los Angeles as a glittering wasteland where everyone's performing for invisible audiences. Kenny Beats' synth score pulses with the same desperate energy as its protagonist. And when violence finally erupts, Russell doesn't give us catharsis – just more ugly truth about how easily obsession can breach any barrier when you're cunning enough.
This is the movie A24 should be throwing money at. It's "Ingrid Goes West" meets "Nightcrawler" with a splash of Gen Z nihilism that feels genuinely dangerous.