‘Lurker’ Movie Review [Fantasia 2025]: A Deranged Descent into Fame-Obsessed Madness

Photo from Fantasia Film Festival

From Jeff Nelson

In writer/director Alex Russell’s Lurker, the desperate need to belong to something greater leads one prowler to take downright disturbing measures. It’s a more morally murky version of Ingrid Goes West with a darker edge.

Trendy clothing store employee Matthew (Théodore Pellerin) gets lucky when Oliver (Archie Madekwe), a rising pop star, walks in to do some shopping. Impressed with Matthew’s music taste, the micro-celebrity invites him to meet his entourage at a local show, but it’s apparent that he isn’t welcome. Oliver’s inner circle reluctantly gives him access as he becomes further entangled in the groupie dynamic, plagued by false validation.

The pop artist absorbs the supposed newcomer into the group as his videographer for an upcoming documentary, but Matthew hides the fact that he’s a superfan. Recording candid moments, he captures the vulnerable man behind the facade, all while obeying every command, including degrading housework. However, the videographer’s motivations for infiltrating the group remain ambiguous. Is he obsessed with Oliver? His burgeoning fame? Both?

Tonally, the movie is consistently unnerving. Matthew isn’t so easy to figure out. Something isn’t right about him, but even though the story is told from his perspective, we’re never truly let into his psyche. Russell spends his time building a sinister tone through the climbing of a social ladder that has the potential to change his quiet life forever. This life away from Oliver is very thinly drawn, reduced to his long-time friend at the shop and his grandmother, whom he snaps at for unknowingly interrupting a phone call with the music artist.

As things within the entourage start to get worse, Matthew’s paranoid sense of narcissism takes over. He wears multiple masks until his box of tricks runs dry. Most refreshing is how Russell doesn’t use this tale of a star-obsessed lurker to preach any particular message. Instead, the focus is on the descent into madness that grows more unhinged the further he rides Oliver’s coattails up the social ladder.

Much of the movie’s success is owed to the lead performance. Pellerin is spectacular, housing a quiet rage under a socially awkward exterior. He has expressive eyes that carry entire scenes, and a mischievous smile that hints at more sinister intentions. Madekwe turns in a good performance as Oliver, but Havana Rose Liu leaves a big impression with a minor role as Shai, a member of the group.

Russell’s confident and assured feature debut avoids obvious tropes surrounding celebrity culture. It requires leaps in logic, occasionally losing its grasp on character arcs through narrative missteps. However, it’s always wholly compelling. Equal parts unnerving and intoxicating, Lurker unveils the darkest side of obsession.

Rating: 3.5/5

Lurker played at Fantasia 2025 on August 1st, before going to theaters on August 22nd.

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