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![](\"https:\/\/cdn.craft.cloud\/26ed9c78-feb7-4ee6-8ddf-262fd7bafb2d\/assets\/tco\/images\/Lurker.jpg\")
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In his controversial but undeniably significant smash hit \u200b\u2018<\/span>Stan\u2019, Eminem relayed the story of an obsessive fan who would do anything to get the attention of his idol. His deteriorating mental health \u2013 conveyed through a\u00a0series of increasingly worrying letters to Eminem \u2013 eventually led him to threats, then acts, of violence, and even some 20<\/span>\u00a0years later the impact of the song on pop culture is unquestionable, blessing obsessive, sometimes overstepping fans with the nickname \u200b\u201c<\/span>stans\u201d. Of course the depiction of the crazed fan is nothing new \u2013 Kathy Bates won an Oscar for Misery<\/i> back in 1991<\/span> \u2013 but the advent of social media has exacerbated the illusion of closeness between stars and stans. Ingrid Goes West<\/i> and TV<\/span> series Swarm <\/i>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<\/i>.<\/p>\n At first it seems like kismet. Up-and-coming British musician Oliver (Archie Madekwe on charming form) strikes up a\u00a0conversation with Matthew (Th\u00e9odore Pellerin, fast becoming one of the most exciting young actors around) at the hip LA<\/span> clothing store where he works after hearing a\u00a0Nile 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\u2019s inner-circle. But proximity to stardom isn\u2019t a\u00a0sure thing, and with so many hangs-on competing for his attention, Oliver\u2019s a\u00a0fickle ally. Unfortunately for him, like a\u00a0zillennial Talented Mr. Ripley, Matthew has all but engineered this friendship, and once it\u2019s within his grasp, he\u2019s not about to let it\u00a0go.<\/p>\n While obsessive friendships have been fodder for fiction for decades, it\u2019s usually explored in the context of women \u2013 the fact that Russell\u2019s film comes out the same year as Andrew DeYoung\u2019s Friendship<\/i><\/a> suggests a\u00a0tide change as men take the spotlight, undoubtedly shaped by the cultural conversations around the manosphere and male loneliness crisis<\/a>. Lurker <\/i>is timely then, even if the subject itself isn\u2019t especially fresh \u2013 but Russell strikes gold with his young cast. Pellerin is particularly compelling \u2013 his wide eyes and looming presence like that of a\u00a0Borzoi 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\u2019t maintain Oliver\u2019s friendship willingly, he\u2019ll do it by force. Opposite him Madekwe has the impish easygoing energy of a\u00a0kid about to make it big, but as Matt\u2019s presence looms larger in his life, it seems to physically drain him, slowing his speech and movement, turning him sullen and\u00a0sad.\u00a0<\/p>\n They\u2019re joined by a\u00a0milieu of credible cool talent (Bottoms<\/i><\/a>\u2019 <\/i>Havana Rose Liu, musician and actor Zach Fox, Funny Pages<\/i><\/a>\u2019 <\/i>Daniel Zolghadri, Mid90<\/span>s<\/i><\/a>\u2019 Sunny Suljic) who together create an authentic sense of camaraderie \u2013 Oliver\u2019s 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 <\/i>becomes a\u00a0film not just about Matt\u2019s (somewhat unexplained) desire to be part of Oliver\u2019s world, but the strange power dynamics of that very space, and the ease of exploitation in an industry where everyone\u2019s hungrier than\u00a0ever.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s an updated but familiar story dressed in 2020<\/span>s garb that will date Lurker<\/i> but perhaps not age it, although Russell does paint himself into a\u00a0narrative corner early on that doesn\u2019t allow for many surprises. Even so, Lurker <\/i>is an excellent showcase for the talents of Th\u00e9odore Pellerin (quietly marvellous in every role he takes) and an intriguing first step as a\u00a0feature filmmaker for Alex Russell.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nGet more Little White\u00a0Lies<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n