Almost Famous. A Star is Born. The Idea of You; films about fictional musicians aren’t hard to come by, and it makes sense why. There’s an endless fascination with fame and what it does to people, as well as what it does to the people around them — so much so that this year’s Sundance Film Festival has two movies that explore this idea: Opus and Lurker. Lurker attempts to say something new about these topics, and while it undoubtedly plants interesting seeds, it unfortunately never quite blooms.
What is ‘Lurker’ About?

Image Via Case Study Films

Lurker centers around Matthew (Théodore Pellerin), a young man obsessed with a popular up-and-coming musician named Oliver (Archie Madekwe). Instead of introducing himself as a fan when Oliver comes into the store where he works, Matthew plays it cool — something that intrigues and attracts Oliver to him. Oliver invites him to hang out with his posse, which includes the suspicious but sweet Shai (Havana Rose Liu). Things quickly take a darker turn — on both Matthew’s and Oliver’s ends. Matthew has unsettling persistence and desperation to stay in Oliver’s good graces, and Oliver frequently sows competition amongst his inner circle, creating a toxic work and living environment. The power dynamics are constantly blurring and shifting, leading to a series of explosive decisions that change everything.
‘Lurker’ Is a Bland Imitation of Other Projects

Image Via Case Study Films

Lurker will no doubt remind you of other projects, with the two closest siblings in terms of plot in recent memory being Saltburn (which Madekwe also appeared in) and The Idol. While those two projects have more than their fair share of problems, I almost found myself missing their big — if flawed — shock-value swings. Lurker attempts to be more grounded than these two projects, but the result is something bland and watered down. It starts embracing its weirdness and taking risks within the last 15 minutes, but by then, it’s too late. For the majority of the runtime, the humor isn’t sharp enough to be a successful comedy, but there’s not enough palpable tension for it to be a compelling drama or thriller either.
Lukers introduces some interesting ideas — particularly about how visibility doesn’t always equal wealth — but it doesn’t dig in deeply enough to add anything to the canon. The film is at its most intriguing when it focuses on the dynamics between Mattew and Oliver’s circle of friends, exploring the inherently competitive environment and vicious cycle of fading relevance. The concept of lines blurring between friend, fan, and employee is a fascinating one, and while there are moments of riveting power grabs and subversions, it’s all ultimately underbaked. Instead, the film falls into exploring easier, more well-worn territory about the pitfalls and loneliness of fame.
It’s not an ugly movie by any means, but the visuals, too, never stand out. I was constantly hoping to be wowed by and immersed in writer-director Alex Russell’s vision and style, but nothing about the sets or cinematography ever feels particularly fresh. Rather, it’s a film characterized by the same soft, dreamy color palette we’ve seen time and time again as the characters drift from concerts to parties to Oliver’s minimalist mansion. When we switch to the footage Matthew is meant to have taken, the quality looks puzzlingly poor. Sure, it’s supposed to have a home video vibe, but wouldn’t Oliver still have the best equipment available? And shouldn’t Matthew be at least marginally adept at holding it? There are surprises that work here and there, both in regard to the aesthetic and plot, but many aspects begin to get repetitive as the runtime nears its end.
‘Lurker’s Characters Are Hard to Root For And Against

Image Via Sundance Film Festival

It’s great to have a character to root for. Inspiring heroes are popular protagonists for a reason, after all. However, it can be just as much fun to have a delicious villain you find yourself loving to hate or hating to love or a morally grey character that doesn’t fit into one clear moral path. Unfortunately, Lurker commits cinema’s greatest sin by making us ambivalent about its characters. Neither Oliver nor Matthew are ever sympathetic enough to cheer for, dastardly enough to despise, or complex enough to grapple with. They come off flat and one-dimensional and, by default, we’re left indifferent about what they’re doing or what happens to them.
Pellerin does the best with what he’s given, but unfortunately, the material isn’t strong enough for his performance to be impressive or memorable. He remains locked to one expression for the majority of the runtime — a blank, faraway stare. Perhaps this is an intentional choice, as the film hints at psychopathic tendencies, but it makes it difficult to understand his motivations in a way that’s confusing rather than intriguing or mysterious. The third act rectifies this a bit, giving him a chance to sink his teeth into meatier scenes, but the buildup to get there doesn’t make it especially earned. There are glimpses of Matthew showing he knows how to play people, but you never get the sense that he’s in control the whole time. The film seems to want to tell us he’s a mastermind without ever putting in the work to prove it. It’s also challenging to grasp what the stakes for him actually are and, thus, why we should care whether he succeeds in his plan.

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Madekwe, too, suffers from a generic script. He has the natural charisma to be a popular musician, which he glides on to make things effectively believable, but the film doesn’t give Oliver enough of an “it” factor to be truly magnetic. He does a lot of talking about his passion for music, but you never truly feel it. His backstory is thin and cliché — coming off predictable and thrown in — making it difficult to connect with or empathize with him, and he often comes across as obnoxiously fake deep. Whether this is meant to be satirical or earnest is unclear, but if it’s the former, the parody isn’t sharp enough for it to work. For a famous musician, Oliver is a shockingly passive character. Perhaps the lack of agency is the point — another statement on the prison of celebrity — but if so, the execution to drive that point home is lacking.
Liu and Zack Fox (who plays a member of Oliver’s inner circle) emerge as the two standouts of the film, despite the fact their characters are underdeveloped as well. Liu adds the necessary texture to things, playing Shai with a nice balance of sincerity and skepticism. The fact she can see Matthew for who he is from the beginning — and even acts as a mentor of sorts at first — makes her an integral and welcome presence. For anyone who’s seen Abbott Elementary, it probably comes as no surprise that Fox gets the film’s biggest laughs, whether he’s performing a hazing ritual or talking about his ability to bag Meryl Streep. He acts as another nice foil to Matthew.
Despite introducing some fresh ideas about fame and relevance, Lurker feels like something we’ve seen before and executed in more compelling ways. Though there are shocking moments, it mostly plays things safe, refusing to fully embrace the intensity it occasionally flirts with. Though the actors are all decent in their roles, the performers aren’t enough to save flat writing and characterization — both of which make it difficult to get invested.
Lurker premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Lurker

Lurker introduces interesting ideas about fame, but it ultimately feels like a bland imitation of other recent projects.

Release Date

January 28, 2025

Runtime

100 Minutes

Pros & Cons

The film poses interesting questions about fame and explores the lengths people will go to stay relevant.
Havana Rose Liu and Zack Fox are both standouts, elevating the project with layers and humor.

The film treads familiar territory, failing to differentiate itself from similar projects in its refusal to take risks.
The two lead characters feel underdeveloped and one-note, making it difficult to care about them or understand their motivations.
Russell never sets himself apart with a unique directorial style, giving the film a pleasant but familiar aesthetic.