LURKER
(director/writer: Alex Russell; cinematographer: Pat Scola; editor: David Kashevaroff; music: Kenneth Blume; cast: Theodore Pellerin (Matthew), Archie Madekwe (Oliver), Havana Rose Liu (Shai), Sunny Suljic (Jamie), Zack Fox (Swett), Olawale Onayemi (Bowen), Daniel Zolghadri (Noah), Myra Turley (Grandma Christine), Cam Hicks (Sebastian); Runtime: 100; MPAA Rating: NR; producers: Alex Orlovsky, Duncan Montgomery, Galen Core, Charlie McDowell, Archie Madekwe, Olmo Schnabel, Marc Marrie, Francesco Melzi D’Eril; Twin Pictures/MeMo Films; 2025-USA/Italy)
“A satire on fame in Hollywood.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
The Bear and Beef TV writer Alex Russell in his debut feature film is director/writer of this infectious thriller–a satire on fame in Hollywood.
The nerdy, social misfit Matthew (Theodore Pellerin) is a manipulative twentysomething retail worker in a boutique clothes store, living with his grandmother (Myra Turley) in Los Angeles. He might be a parasite but thinks he’s cool when he becomes part of the inner circle of the biracial LA transplant living in the Hollywood Hills, the rising Brit music star Oliver (Archie Madekwe). The singer has no last name (something about family issues).
Matthew, even if goofed on by the star’s entourage (Olawale Onayemi, Daniel Zolghadri & Zack Fox) and sneered at by the star’s observant manager and sometimes girlfriend (Havana Rose Liu), pleases the star by flattering him and doing the chump chores around the house like washing the dishes. His loyalty to the star gets rewarded with being made his unofficial documentarian.
But things change when Oliver returns from his London tour and takes more of a liking to Jamie (Sunny Suljic), a co-worker in Matthew’s boutique. Matthew is not deterred and uses his manipulative skills to try and make sure he’s not frozen out of the singer’s inner circle.
The film makes no great social points on fame but trudges on as a character study of the aloof egotistical star and of the evil innocent sycophant. When signs of danger in the relationship kicks in, the film goes into a thriller mode and the lurker shows his true colors.
It played at the Sundance Film Festival
REVIEWED ON 2/7/2025 GRADE: B
dennisschwartzreviews.com