Lurker Review: Oh, Can't You See You Belong to Me?

"During the opening minutes of Lurker, the slippery new debut from writer-director Alex Russell, we meet timid retail worker Matthew (Théodore Pellerin), busy charming the rising indie pop star Oliver (Archie Madekwe), who strolls into his Los Angeles store one day. He achieves it by-what else?-pretending to be unfamiliar with his music. After nabbing a backstage invite to Oliver's show later that night, the film sets an engrossing trap: Is Matthew an overeager fan or something more sinister?"

"Lurker, which premiered to raves earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, thrives in that gray area, mutating a straightforward obsession thriller into a psychosexual game of brinksmanship. Matthew quickly schemes his way into Oliver's orbit after that first performance, impressing and rankling the group of lackeys in his entourage at the same time. After getting a job on his bankroll-which, for him, means grunt work like cleaning Oliver's swanky L.A. house-Matthew hunts for ways to get closer."

Lurker follows timid retail worker Matthew (Théodore Pellerin) as he charms indie pop star Oliver (Archie Madekwe) and maneuvers into his orbit, blurring fan obsession and menace. Matthew secures a backstage pass, a low-level job at Oliver's house, and uses an old camcorder to pitch a documentary, exploiting Oliver's desire for perceived authenticity. The film mutates an obsession thriller into a psychosexual game of brinksmanship. Alex Russell draws on years in the L.A. music scene and collaborates with Kenny Beats and supporting players like Zack Fox to craft realistic depictions of indie fame, music production, and tight concert atmospheres.

Read at Pitchfork