Lurker

LURKER 🎧 

After looking over the resume of writer Alex Russell, who has written on both Emmy Award-winning series The Bear and BEEF, I knew immediately that his directorial debut would be one of the must-watch films at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival.

This is the third film of the decade, the other two being A24’s Friendship and the infamous Saltburn, that places a magnifying glass on the rarely examined, more unsettling side of male friendship. In Lurker’s case, we witness a parasocial online relationship between a thrift shop worker (Canadian actor Théodore Pellerin) and an up-and-coming musician (Archie Madekwe—Gran Turismo, Saltburn) evolve into a real-life connection that blurs the fine line between friendship and fandom.

I haven’t hated an ending this much since Game of Thrones.

Is this a bad movie? Not at all. I think generally audiences are going to eat the dramatic suspense of this unravelling relationship right up, but I was just appalled at the decision to have one character do something so heinous and then there be this subversive finale that in a way rewards that behaviour… I’m trying to circle around the plot point without spoiling any of the movie.

The funny thing is I’m normally a huge supporter of stories going against the grain, letting the villain win once in a while, and BEEF is a prime example where the unlikable character ends up being “okay” in the end even if they (in terms of storytelling purposes) didn’t deserve to be, which did not work for me in the case of LURKER.

I’m literally torn on this film.

Rarely does a film spark an emotional reaction out of me, and this was like an enjoyable meal that left an unpleasant aftertaste. So do I dock it for not agreeing with the ending, or do I commend it for its willingness to be provocative and daring in ways most movies would shy away from… This is where critiquing a film becomes tough.

The overall quality of the film is undeniable. We have Archie Madekwe, who is continuing his run as one of the most underrated talents in Hollywood; Alex Russell delivers a story that will undoubtedly engage audiences, and the cinematography feels like a Tumblr feed come to life—and that’s a compliment. In a way it also plays well as a social-horror film watching someone manipulate and force their way into a situation that no longer exists, like imagine if Jason Vorhees would stop at nothing just to be your friend, but looked at you like you’re the crazy one for not accepting his friendship. There’s this inability to read the room (or social cues) that makes for some incredibly uncomfortably, embarrassing scenes that you won’t be able to help but cringe at.

That’s where this story excels. I haven’t seen a movie navigate the parasocial relationship people have with online figures in a way this does. If I took my personal bias out of my scoring, I’d easily give this a 7.5/10, but that’s not what my final score will be.

This is one of those watches that makes the communal aspect of moviegoing so much fun. It’ll make for some incredible conversation because you’ll either love or hate it, and it’s rare to have that feeling when most films have a habit of using a traditional, formulaic approach that will make you feel nothing at all.

LURKER is a little bit of Uncut Gems and a whole lot of Saltburn, with a climactic finish that’s sure to surprise and divide audiences, and it is one of the rare times I’d encourage you to still watch a film despite my low score because it may work for you in a way the ending ruined for me. 

Enjoy!

4/10 🍿 🎥

Runtime: 1hr40mins

Where: In Theatres August 29th.

Lurker Review (2025) The Richmond Reviewer - August 10th, 2025.

#Lurker #MovieReview #Movie #TheodorePellerin #ArchieMedekwe #MUBICanada