Rooftop Selects: Lurker

A screw-turning psychological thriller made for the moment, Lurker is the razor-sharp directorial debut from The Bear and Beef writer-producer Alex Russell. When twenty-something Los Angeles retail clerk and loner Matthew (Théodore Pellerin) encounters rising pop star Oliver (Saltburn’s Archie Madekwe), he takes the opportunity to edge his way into the in-crowd. But staying there isn’t easy. With an entire entourage (Bottoms’ Havana Rose Liu, Abbott Elementary’s Zack Fox, Y2K’s Daniel Zolghadri, mid90s’ Sunny Suljic) vying for attention, Matthew must prove himself to Oliver as more than just a follower. As their bond grows strained and mainstream fame appears within reach, access and proximity become a matter of life and death. Online fixation meets reality in this parasocial, paranoid cat-and-mouse film driven by star-making performances. With an incisive view to contemporary culture and a brilliant score from Kenny Beats (known for his work with Vince Staples), Lurker presents an exhilarating take on the music industry, the blurred line between friend and fan, and our universal search for validation. A MUBI release.