by Tim Gordon
Originally published on January 28, 2025, at Sundance Film Festival
Fame is a currency, and in Lurker, it’s one that’s desperately bartered for, coveted, and, ultimately, devours those who chase it too closely.
Writer-director Alex Russell makes an assured leap behind the camera with this tense and psychologically charged drama that feels like All About Eve reimagined for the social media era. Stylish, unsettling, and surprisingly grounded, Lurker is one of the standout films at Sundance 2025.
At the heart of the story is Matthew (a chillingly restrained Théodore Pellerin), a lonely retail worker whose fascination with the glittering world of fame takes a dark turn. After a chance encounter with rising pop sensation Oliver (a charismatic Archie Madekwe), Matthew inserts himself into Oliver’s glamorous inner circle, first as a fan, then a friend, and finally something far more insidious.
Russell’s direction is deliberate and patient, letting the tension simmer beneath the surface before it boils over. The script smartly avoids melodrama, instead painting a chilling portrait of obsession in the age of Instagram, PR-curated authenticity, and parasocial relationships. What begins as a seemingly innocent admiration quickly spirals into manipulation, jealousy, and emotional disintegration. It’s a psychological thriller that understands how fragile identity can become under the spotlight.
Pellerin is mesmerizing, portraying Matthew with equal parts vulnerability and menace. He never plays him as a cartoon villain, which makes his descent all the more disturbing. Madekwe, continuing his recent streak of strong performances, makes Oliver more than just a vapid celebrity; there’s depth to his insecurity, his kindness, and his growing realization that something is deeply off. Supporting performances from Zack Fox, Havana Rose Liu, and Daniel Zolghadri flesh out the chaotic, influencer-laced world Oliver inhabits, a playground where no one truly knows whom they can trust.
Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw (if she’s attached) or someone of similar talent hypothetically here would be the perfect hand behind the lens, capturing LA nightlife, sterile lofts, and chaotic backstage spaces in equal measure. The film feels lived-in and current, without relying on overt technology or name-dropping to ground it in our world. It’s about mood, control, and the slow erasure of boundaries.
In many ways, Lurker is a quiet indictment of our culture’s obsession with access, how being close to fame is often confused with having purpose. The film doesn’t hammer this point; it lets us feel it, especially in a final act that is as haunting as it is inevitable.
Though the film plays with familiar beats of celebrity envy, false intimacy, and fatal obsession, Russell brings a fresh eye to the material, delivering something that feels eerily plausible and emotionally resonant. In a festival full of noise, Lurker whispers and chills you to the bone.
Grade: B+
