Marking his feature filmmaking debut, writer/director Alex Russell delivers a fine-tuned examination of ego, stardom and entitlement in Lurker, a thriller where the scariest moments are the ones that ring most true. Théodore Pellerin (Becoming Karl Lagerfeld) is Matthew, a quiet but observant 20-something working a dead-end job at a retail store when Oliver (Archie Madekwe, Saltburn), a singer/performer on the rise, stops in to shop. His fans have followed him in, and almost without meaning to, Matthew strikes up a conversation with the star in an effort to help diffuse the situation. Soon, the two have hit it off and Oliver is inviting Matthew to join his crew of friends and hangers-on.
The premise isn't inherently haunting, but Russell crafts a story that finds its creepiness in the everyday, those seemingly nondescript moments that someone already a bit unbalanced might turn into more than they actually are. The film's first act is unsettling as we watch Matthew try to find his way around the politics and expectations of this group orbiting around Oliver. Plans are vague and information is scarce; there's a strong "if you know, you know" vibe, where being in the know means you're still part of the crew and being clueless is the kiss of (social) death. Pellerin is captivating throughout the film, his face and energy effortlessly matching his character's ever-shifting situation; one can practically sense Matthew start to piece together the currency of this small group, how to earn it and, more importantly, how to spend it.
As Oliver's career starts to take off, Matthew finds himself in ever more rarified air, from private jets and exclusive hotels to backstage green rooms and exclusive after-parties. But it's all a castle built on sand, where nothing can be counted on and his or anyone else's place in the group is at the whims of a fickle artist. Which, in ways not entirely nefarious (but also not entirely benevolent), Matthew is quickly learning to navigate. This unpredictability is present again and again, perhaps most clear when Matthew accompanies the crew abroad and one of Oliver's handlers alerts Matthew and another hanger-on that they don't have performance visas and therefore can't tell customs they're with the band. It's a logistical truth, but its carelessness cuts Matthew deeply.
Through a series of events you'll want to discover for yourself, Matthew finds himself with more leverage over Oliver than perhaps even he ever expected, and the power goes to his head. Where the film's early tension comes from his insecurity in this new world, it soon shifts to a pervasive sense of anxiety as we're left wondering just how far Matthew will go with his newfound access. Indeed, there's one intimate scene in particular where he and Oliver share a look that is as creepy as it is heartbreaking; here, Madekwe makes it clear that he's just as capable of wordlessly conveying unease and more. The effect is chilling.
As a first time filmmaker (though he's worked on series including The Bear, Beef and Dave), Russell brings a welcome assuredness to the screen, taking risks with perspective and editing that imbue the film with a youthful, modern sense of motion and urgency. Paired with performances from Pellerin and Madekwe that are somehow both understated and evocative, Lurker becomes an of-the-moment chronicle of budding celebrity and the lengths some will go to be associated with it.
Lurker is now playing in theaters. In Chicago, the 7p screening at Music Box Theatre on Saturday, August 30, features a post-film Q&A with Alex Russell, Théodore Pellerin and co-star Zack Fox, moderated by Gillian Flynn.
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