A retail employee infiltrates the inner circle of an artist on the verge of stardom. As he gets closer to the budding music star, access and proximity become a matter of life and death.
Chuck says:
An aching examination of alienation and desperation, Alex Russell’s “Lurker” proves to be one of the most impressive directorial debuts of the year. Narratively daring and visually assured, this portrait of one young man’s yearning to be noticed is unflinching in its examination of the lengths some will go for validation. Anchored by two dynamic, sincere lead performances, the movie provides a fly-on-the-wall look at Generation Alpha, and the emotional distance between its members that has come to define it.
Living with his grandmother, Matthew (Theodore Pellerin) is a young man with no direction and even less ambition. Working at an urban clothing store, he one day crosses paths with the up-and-coming musician, Oliver (Archie Madekwe, channeling The Weeknd). Improbably, after a bit of small talk, they hit it off and Matthew finds himself hanging with the would-be superstar and his posse the next day. Slyly ingratiating himself further into the inner circle, he soon finds himself acting as his new friend’s documentarian, assigned to record his everyday activities and personal musings.
Basking in the glow of this new source of attention, Matthew begins to display a newfound confidence that rubs Oliver’s other associates (Zack Fox, Daniel Zolghadri) the wrong way. They feel threatened by the attention this newcomer is receiving, something Matthew experiences when his co-worker Jamie (Sunny Suljic) is suddenly let into the group. Insecurity runs amok among them, each of these young men going out of their way to curry favor from Oliver. Yet, Matthew takes things to a higher level when he goes out of his way to sabotage the efforts of the others, acts that result in his banishment.
At this point, Russell’s script takes a clever U-turn that upends the power dynamic. To reveal more would do the filmmaker a disservice but the way the movie shifts narrative gears is impressive and welcome. However, the focus of the film is the way these young men fail to communicate with one another. Insincere compliments are at the core of the awkward interactions that repeatedly take place. Nary a genuine sentiment is expressed between them, each of them afraid to express any of their real thoughts or feelings for fear of being ridiculed. The false friendships that result put all concerned on shaky emotional ground, supposed loyalties a mirage that are revealed at the most inopportune times.
The fact that Oliver is revealed to be as insecure as his followers is one of Russell’s wisest choices. The sycophants he surrounds himself with feed his ego, their adulation and neediness a balm for his fragile sense of self-esteem. It’s only when this is threatened to be taken away that his mask comes off and he’s revealed to be as fragile as the rest.
Kudos to Pellerin and Madekwe for the dynamic they create. What begins as a lopsided relationship unexpectedly develops, through a set of odd circumstances, into one of mutual need. It’s obvious each of these actors plumbed the depths of their own fragility to convey that in their characters, the result being a tragic relationship formed and sustained by lies and insincerity.
Russell’s raw, unflinching approach results in a powerful work that focuses on the inability of today’s young men to form genuine relationships, as well as look at themselves in a positive light. The director’s approach is wonderfully ironic as throughout, he employs a handheld camera, relying on shaky medium shots and close-ups. The intimacy this method creates is as much a lie as the camaraderie Oliver and his crew share. In the end, “Lurker” is a cautionary tale regarding the dangers wrought in a society in which people can no longer trust in what’s said or determine what’s real.
3 1/2 Stars
