Lurker – Review

Fame, power, love, obsession, jealousy, addiction, friendship, life and music are all intertwined and on full display in the hard to anticipate film Lurker. Extremely well-acted and driven by a surprisingly strong and realistic script, Lurker is hard to turn away from, even if it’s not your typical vibe. Authenticity rings out, whether good or bad…

Timid clothing store worker Matthew (Pellerin) lives a life of retail hell and wishing for more. He loves to photograph and film, and has an eye for the arts. His co-worker Jamie (Suljic) helps keep him sane during the hours of store time, and even looks up to him a bit. When a rising musician named Oliver (Madakwe) comes into the store for a second time, Matthew flips his phone’s music to an old school timeless track that sparks a conversation between the two.

Matthew pretends he doesn’t know who he is, and doesn’t listen to “newer” tunes. Oliver appreciates the authenticity, and even invites Matthew to his show that evening. He needs a “real” person there to listen. The connection is made. Neither of the men’s futures will ever be the same.

As Matthew begins to integrate himself into Oliver’s completely different world, it is awkward, intimidating and strange. Oliver already has an established crew of “friends,” none of which are all that open for more outsiders to join the group. Contentious beginnings however are eased eventually, and Matthew becomes a video-documenter for Oliver’s rise in the music world. Will everything be smooth sailing for all, or will everything come crashing down? What will Matthew do if the addiction of hanging out with this popular crowd comes to an end?

Anchored by the two main stars Pellerin and Madekwe, the film presents a hypnotic vibe which takes some dark turns. It is somewhat akin to a train wreck, of which you cannot look away from. It is strong on drama, and brings a lot of elements of most anyone’s life into the focus. It’s always hard to fit in and make friends, and it’s even harder to maintain that perfect life you’ve always dreamed of, when it’s close to realizing.

Lurker covers a surprisingly large swath of emotion, realism, and depth. It feels so very real, which is part of the expert crafting of the overall film and atmosphere. Without such strong directing, acting and writing, it is likely this one would fall along the wayside as a strange drama. Instead, it stands out as quite a statement on stardom, the realities of friendship, and as a stark warning on who you can really trust. Give it a shot and let its powerful statements on life and friendship wash over you.

Is this how you envisioned it?