Lurker: reviews

What the critics say average 7.5 from 27 outlets

• 9.1 The PlaylistGregory Ellwood “Lurker” is the sort of film that lingers with you for days. Read
• 9.1 Original-CinChris Knight Films about stalkers and obsession tend toward on-the-nose titles like Crush, Watcher, Creep or, well, Obsession, and Stalker. Lurker is thus, right from the title card, a refreshingly original take on the genre. Read
• 9.0 Los Angeles TimesAmy Nicholson “Lurker” is a teeth-grittingly great dramedy that insists there’s more tension in the entourage of a mellow hipster than a king. Read
• 9.0 Screen RantGrant Hermanns In addition to providing a great script, Russell proves to have an excellent eye in the director's chair. He and cinematographer Pat Scola nicely mix a range of visual styles for their scenes, making particular use of handheld close-ups, putting us right into the emotion of each scene. Read
• 8.8 Roger EbertClint Worthington As the film progresses, Russell’s grasp of the subtle can sometimes get away from him; while “Lurker” doesn’t lapse fully into violent thriller territory, the stakes of each one of Matthew’s calculations grow larger and larger to the point where the script sometimes gets away from the filmmaker’s otherwise impeccable sense of control. Read
• 8.8 The Washington PostTy Burr Writer-director Russell, a producer and co-writer of TV’s “The Bear” and “Beef,” knows his Hollywood existentialism — the dread that you’re not anybody unless you know a Somebody, the easy California vibe that hides gnawing insecurity, the understanding that a friend today can and certainly would cut your throat tomorrow. Read
• 8.5 Paste MagazineJim Vorel A squirmy delight with real insight into both celebrity culture and exploitative relationships, it stands out as one of 2025’s most promising debuts. Read
• 8.3 IndiewireNatalia Winkelman if “Lurker” eventually succumbs to certain genre tropes and a handful of story bumps, it makes up for its limitations in perspicacity and the overall strength of its filmmaking. Read
• 8.0 VarietyOwen Gleiberman “Lurker” is a tight, nifty, and unsettling little parable of the pathology of fame in our time. Read
• 8.0 The GuardianBenjamin Lee While there’s a cynicism that clearly comes from someone who has done his time in both Los Angeles and the industry, it’s ultimately about something more human, and more unsettling, than just Hollywood. There are, after all, lurkers everywhere. Read
• 8.0 The Hollywood ReporterDavid Rooney The movie arguably takes a little too long to kick in, but once its sense of danger — devious, disturbing, wryly amusing — is established, it never stops. Read
• 8.0 The Daily BeastNick Schager Distinguishes itself by putting a distinctly 21st-century spin on its time-honored template, as well as via a black sense of humor. Read
• 8.0 New York TimesAlissa Wilkinson It takes its time at first, but once it really gets going, “Lurker” is snaky and disconcerting and smart. Read
• 8.0 VultureAlison Willmore Matthew is a ruthless worm who demonstrates in disturbing ways how far he’s willing to go to preserve his place at Oliver’s side, and Pellerin — who was previously seared into my mind as the persistent creep on the bus in Never Rarely Sometimes Always — delivers a masterful performance always riding the edge of cringe. Read
• 8.0 Rolling StoneDavid Fear A portrait of a sycophant as a pure, unbridled sociopath, Lurker understands the relationship between fame and fandom all too well. Read
• 8.0 Little White LiesHannah Strong Lurker is an excellent showcase for the talents of Théodore Pellerin (quietly marvellous in every role he takes) and an intriguing first step as a feature filmmaker for Alex Russell. Read
• 7.5 Slant MagazineMarshall Shaffer The artist and audience member are coequal—and codependent—in this perceptive drama about a parasocial relationship that enters the realm of reality. Read
• 7.5 The A.V. ClubJacob Oller But of course things get out of control—it’s not like the dark underbellies of music-world organizations haven’t always exceeded our worst expectations. The strength of Lurker, though, is when it’s operating as a slick, slimy social-engineering thriller that anyone could relate to. Read
• 7.5 LarsenOnFilmJosh Larsen From there, writer-director Alex Russell, making his feature debut, offers a creepy, Talented Mr. Ripley-style character study that doubles as a meditation on celebrity and authenticity. Read
• 7.0 Next Best PictureAlex Papaioannou “Lurker” is an eerie and chilling thriller that keeps its viewer stuck in an endless feedback loop of disconcerting behavior that’s only becoming more common. Read
• 7.0 MicropsiaDiego Lerer It's still an unsettling look at the world of fame and what it breeds, but by then it's closer to a formula. Read
• 6.5 El ContraplanoIñaki Ortiz Gascón A good first film: it doesn't invent anything, but it has a steady narrative hand and a sufficient look. Read
• 6.0 Screen DailyAllan Hunter Lurker is sometimes a little too on the mark, especially with Russell’s repeated use of James And Barry Purify’s performance of ’I’m Your Puppet’ on the soundtrack. Read
• 6.0 CinemagaviaAna Cabrero Mohedano The first film from The Bear producer and writer Alex Russell uses this blend of drama and thriller to explore themes that ring very true in that world, such as the fear of loneliness, the need to be loved and the confusion between love and obsession. Read
• 5.0 ColliderTaylor Gates Despite introducing some fresh ideas about fame and relevance, Lurker feels like something we’ve seen before and executed in more compelling ways. Though there are shocking moments, it mostly plays things safe, refusing to fully embrace the intensity it occasionally flirts with. Read
• 4.2 The Film StageAlistair Ryder The film doesn’t work as a thriller for this reason, stretching credulity in how it finds new ways to keep Matthew returning to the fold, and doesn’t succeed particularly well in critiquing the vapidness of modern fame. Read
• 4.0 Caimán Cuadernos de CineCarlos Losilla And that is where it hurts, because Lurker is a film that ends up adopting the bad habits it thinks it is denouncing. Read