LURKER: 3 ½ STARS. “incisive commentary on fame & power.”
SYNOPSIS: “Lurker,” a new psychological thriller now playing in theatres, sees an obsessed fan drawn, like a moth, to the flame of fame.
CAST: Théodore Pellerin, Archie Madekwe, Zack Fox, Havana Rose Liu, Wale Onayemi, Daniel Zolghadri, and Sunny Suljic. Directed by Alex Russell.
REVIEW: The thin line between fandom and obsession is examined in “Lurker,” a new show biz thriller starring Quebec-born actor Théodore Pellerin and “Saltburn” star Archie Madekwe.
We first meet Matthew (Pellerin) when he’s working at a retail store frequented by celebrities. When up-and-coming singer Oliver stops by, he’s so impressed by Matthew’s take on his music and influences, he invites the awkward shop clerk to hang out at his Hollywood Hills home.
Seduced by the power of fame, he becomes a hanger-on, doing joe jobs around the musician’s home until Oliver asks him to become a photographer on a documentary essaying his creative process. Matthew loves basking in Oliver’s reflected glow, and, despite his insecurities, makes himself an integral part of the entourage.
When a newcomer becomes Oliver’s shiny new dime Matthew feels isolated until the singer behaves carelessly, opens himself up to blackmail, and gives Matthew a way back into the inner circle.
As a story of shifting power dynamics and the allure of fame, “Lurker” is tense, edge of your seat stuff as Matthew’s behavior shifts from fan to desperate and obsessive hanger-on.
Pellerin plays Matthew as a star-struck cypher, a blank slate, waiting to be colored by Oliver’s fame. His identity, or lack thereof, is so closely tied to his relationship with Oliver, that when that bond is broken, he’s lost and unpredictable. That quiet volatility gives “Lurker” an unnerving edge.
Madekwe brings pop star swagger to Oliver, a guy with a deep emotional connection to his music, but few of the interpersonal skills to make meaningful connections with people. As Oliver’s relationship with Matthew crumbles, he uses his hip aloofness like a cudgel. Madekwe’s casual cruelty cuts to the quick but sets up an interesting character reversal when Matthew’s blackmail plot changes their power dynamic.
Despite muddled storytelling as the film approaches its end credits, “Lurker” is still an interesting, incisive commentary on fame and power with, unlike so many other movies about pop music, great tunes that cleverly comment on the action. When Oliver sings, “What’s the difference between love and obsession?” he’s not simply waxing poetic, he’s tunefully, and authentically, getting to the heart of writer-director Alex Russell’s story.
