In his controversial but undeniably significant smash hit ‘Stan’, Eminem relayed the story of an obsessive fan who would do anything to get the attention of his idol. His deteriorating mental health – conveyed through a series of increasingly worrying letters to Eminem – eventually led him to threats, then acts, of violence, and even some 20 years later the impact of the song on pop culture is unquestionable, blessing obsessive, sometimes overstepping fans with the nickname “stans”. Of course the depiction of the crazed fan is nothing new – Kathy Bates won an Oscar for Misery back in 1991 – but the advent of social media has exacerbated the illusion of closeness between stars and stans. Ingrid Goes West and TV series Swarm explore the darker side of celebrity worship in the age of the internet, and in his feature debut, Alex Russell joins the club with Lurker.
At first it seems like kismet. Up-and-coming British musician Oliver (Archie Madekwe on charming form) strikes up a conversation with Matthew (Théodore Pellerin, fast becoming one of the most exciting young actors around) at the hip LA clothing store where he works after hearing a Nile Rodgers song on the sound system. He invites Matthew to his gig, and after some light hazing from his posse, Matt finds himself granted entry into Oliver’s inner-circle. But proximity to stardom isn’t a sure thing, and with so many hangs-on competing for his attention, Oliver’s a fickle ally. Unfortunately for him, like a zillennial Talented Mr. Ripley, Matthew has all but engineered this friendship, and once it’s within his grasp, he’s not about to let it go.
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While obsessive friendships have been fodder for fiction for decades, it’s usually explored in the context of women – the fact that Russell’s film comes out the same year as Andrew DeYoung’s Friendship suggests a tide change as men take the spotlight, undoubtedly shaped by the cultural conversations around the manosphere and male loneliness crisis. Lurker is timely then, even if the subject itself isn’t especially fresh – but Russell strikes gold with his young cast. Pellerin is particularly compelling – his wide eyes and looming presence like that of a Borzoi imbue Matt with an awkward innocence and fragility, but as time goes by his inner bunny boiler (sans bunnies) emerges, as it becomes clear if he can’t maintain Oliver’s friendship willingly, he’ll do it by force. Opposite him Madekwe has the impish easygoing energy of a kid about to make it big, but as Matt’s presence looms larger in his life, it seems to physically drain him, slowing his speech and movement, turning him sullen and sad.
They’re joined by a milieu of credible cool talent (Bottoms’ Havana Rose Liu, musician and actor Zach Fox, Funny Pages’ Daniel Zolghadri, Mid90s’ Sunny Suljic) who together create an authentic sense of camaraderie – Oliver’s anxieties around who he can trust within his circle of friends are confirmed by the fact that everyone seems tacitly aware their presence in his life is provisional. Lurker becomes a film not just about Matt’s (somewhat unexplained) desire to be part of Oliver’s world, but the strange power dynamics of that very space, and the ease of exploitation in an industry where everyone’s hungrier than ever.
It’s an updated but familiar story dressed in 2020s garb that will date Lurker but perhaps not age it, although Russell does paint himself into a narrative corner early on that doesn’t allow for many surprises. Even so, Lurker is an excellent showcase for the talents of Théodore Pellerin (quietly marvellous in every role he takes) and an intriguing first step as a feature filmmaker for Alex Russell.
