Lurker as a film is one of the more fascinating movies to come out this year. The Alex Russell movie follows Matthew (Théodore Pellerin) on his journey to working with his favorite artist, no matter what it takes.
Matthew meets Oliver (Archie Madekwe) when he is working at a shop after Matthew plays a song that Oliver thinks is great. The two hit it off and the next thing Matthew knows, he’s helping Oliver film a documentary. But Matthew is a little too invested in Oliver’s world and when people try to get closer to him, Matthew makes sure that his status with the artist is safe.
Lurker is fascinating to me as a film because more often than not, we see this with a female fan and a male artist and vice versa but we rarely get to see it exist with a male artist and a male fan. Stories like Misery have taken over our idea of what a fan obsession film can look like but Lurker challenges that by having Oliver let Matthew into his life.
For the most part, their connection is genuine and Oliver isn’t exactly unaware of Matthew’s love for his work. But Lurker does a great job of balancing Oliver’s music and Matthew’s dedication to this friendship he’s forced himself into. Matthew clearly needs help but he is also working hard to make Oliver proud of the work he’s doing. What is clear is that he just doesn’t like when anyone tries to take his friendship away from him.
With a mix of “love” for the 90s aesthetic and the kind of makeshift artist just making it big, Lurker allows its characters to be original and truthful to themselves while exploring the idea of fandom and when things go too far.
Being a fan is one thing, this is…something else entirely
Fandom and being in fandom spaces has always been a complicated thing. And what makes Lurker fun is you can see why Oliver has fans like Matthew. His music is great, his art itself feel original while using nostalgia to bring us in, and he’s someone who built it entirely on his own.
But like many stories about fans, the tricky thing is that a fan wants that love and affection from their favorite artist and then they’re afraid if it goes away. Which is why I do really love that this film has Matthew at its center. He’s an unreliable narrator, he’s angry and compulsive and his obsession with Oliver is terrifying at times but you also see his desperation.
Matthew had nothing and then Oliver changed his life. His need to try to keep that and control it may not be understandable but you can see, at least, why a character like this went to these lengths. Matthew is a terrifying character because he’s highlighting how fan dynamics can turn south quickly. But he’s also just the kind of character who is such a loose canon that we’re captivated by what he’s doing.
Lurker works for so many different reasons and is the kind of film you’ll think about for a long while. Luckily though, we can all listen to Oliver’s music afterwards.
(featured image: Mubi)
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
