Review: Lurker – Fame is the name
Directed by Alex Russell
Starring Théodore Pellerin, Archie Madekwe, Sunny Suljic
7/10
The pursuit of fame feels like it’s more sought after than ever before, with social media mostly to blame. Lurker explores this modern malaise, with mixed results—sometimes it’s unsure of how to present its dynamic between star and fan, other times it’s able to generate such interesting tension in their relationship.
When Matthew (Théodore Pellerin) gets taken under the wing of famous rapper Oliver (Archie Madekwe), he’s introduced to the life of showbiz—it initially seems so accepting, with all the exciting backstage parties making him feel like a celebrity himself. But then he becomes aware of the other side of things, the uncertainty of his place in Oliver’s life and the desertion he faces from him.
Some things seem too vague and underdeveloped for the film’s liking. Why exactly is Matthew so enamoured with Oliver? Is he a genuine fan, or does he just want to partake in the fame and attention for himself? Likewise, what does Oliver see in him to make him want to be part of his crew? Their linking up is so sudden that he ends up being entrusted to be part of his entourage after just a couple of meetings where they get along fine enough, but not a massive connection seems to be made.
Amidst some of the slog the film has in capturing this modern cultural zeitgeist, there are some stand-out moments that bring a mix of conflicts to this new friendship, particularly when Oliver’s work colleague Jamie (Sunny Suljic) is also enlisted in the posse, developing some strong jealousy from Matthew. The centrepiece scene comes when they travel to London for a photo shoot. Matthew has already screwed Jamie over badly, and their vying for attention from Oliver gets increasingly intensified as they both try to one-up each other getting the perfect photo.
Another interesting spin is when Matthew manages to gain more control over Oliver’s recording process. This builds up even more intrigue between the two, to the point where so much has happened between them, they must feel so much ambivalence about each other by the end—a mix of animosity and admiration, leading to a final scene that sums up the whole affair pretty amusingly.
Due to its premise and how it focuses on modern culture, Lurker has some originality. Though it also feels comparable to a number of films, feeling like a male version of Ingrid Goes West (but of course, the Insta-influencer male equivalent is the rapper), as well as developing a dynamic between star and fan in a similar way to The King of Comedy.
But it’s unfortunately inferior to all its influences in satire, intrigue, and humour. For films like these, dealing with the toxic relationship between star and fan that’s further intensified by the technology that brings them together, they shouldn’t be quite as bland and toothless as this. There are issues with how Lurker sets itself up, as well as how it presents fame-chasing in the social media age, but once it gets going, there are certainly some interesting and dark paths it takes in its commentary on being an obsessed, fame-hungry stan.
DAVID MORGAN-BROWN