Lurker (Blu-ray Review)
Director
Alex RussellRelease Date(s)
2025 (March 3, 2026)Studio(s)
High Frequency Entertainment/MeMo Films/Twin Pictures (Mubi)- Film/Program Grade: A
- Video Grade: A
- Audio Grade: A
- Extras Grade: F
Review
Writer/producer Alex Russell (The Bear, Beef, Dave) makes his directorial debut with Lurker. A movie I can sum up with one word, and I stand by it 100%. “Cringe.” Man this movie is Cringe. It’s good, for sure. Very watchable and fascinating. But from start to finish you may be watching this wanting to press pause to yell at your TV. EVERYONE in this film is terrible. Not in an evil way. Just in a way that everything done to move this story forward is justified by terrible decisions. Matthew (Théodore Pellerin) is a young man in LA. He is a social media photographer working at a trendy clothes shop. One day, Oliver (Archie Madekwe), an up-and-coming singer in The Weekend mode comes in and through a bit of manipulation and lies, Matthew becomes a part of Oliver’s crew. Matthew has dreams and an artistic vision—he wants to make Oliver an icon on social media and move on to making a documentary. Oliver is a bit of a flake with a need for attention and positive reinforcement regarding all aspects of his life, including his talent and as he grows in popularity, so does his crew and seemingly overnight, Matthew isn’t the right-hand man he started out as. In a moment of insecurity, Matthew throws everything away trying to hold onto his position and is subsequently kicked out of the crew. It’s then that something falls into his lap that presents the perfect way back in, but at a terrible cost. Equally as fascinating as it is Cringe, it’s the performances that keep it rolling along and Russell’s competent hand certainly helps—working on two TV showcases will help that “debut” aspect as a filmmaker.
Sadly, this is as a barebones disc as you’re going to get. I would have liked to have seen more about the film, the making of, and how it all came together but that’s just not currently the physical media business we’re in these days. And it sucks. Video is presented in 1080p (2.39:1) with nice detail, solid blacks, bright well-adjusted colors and accurate tones throughout. Audio is English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 mirrored in French with English SDH and French subtitles. Not a single extra. Lurker is creepy, human and oh so Cringe but if you get the opportunity to catch it you should.
- Todd Doogan