Lurker (2025)
Film · Drama, Thriller
Stream itif you enjoy claustrophobic, character-driven psychological thrillers that critique the dark side of modern celebrity worship.
An unsettling examination of modern celebrity culture and the blurred lines of fan obsession. It maintains a consistent sense of unease and dread, offering a punishing look at social climbing that will appeal to fans of psychological thrillers.
What it is about
When a twenty-something retail clerk encounters a rising pop star, he takes the opportunity to edge his way into the in-crowd. But as the line between friend and fan blurs beyond recognition, access and proximity become a matter of life and death.
Trailer
What Lurker is like, and who it is for
What it is like to watch
Watching this film is a taut, high-anxiety experience that trades in slow-mounting dread rather than explosive action. The pace is deliberate, mirroring the protagonist's careful, calculated infiltration of an elite social circle. It feels clinical and cold, maintaining a persistent level of discomfort as social boundaries are systematically breached. The intensity comes from the psychological friction between the characters, creating a heavy atmosphere where every interaction feels loaded with potential danger.
Who it is for, and who should skip it
The film is ideal for those who appreciate uncomfortable character studies and scathing indictments of influencer culture. It will likely alienate anyone seeking a traditional hero, as the protagonist’s motivations are deeply murky and increasingly difficult to defend. An honest caveat is that the experience is deliberately punishing; the narrative often makes the viewer feel like a reluctant accomplice to increasingly desperate and voyeuristic actions. If you dislike stories about unlikeable people, this will be a difficult watch.
The right evening for it
It suits a quiet, focused evening when you are in the mood for something sharp, cynical, and ultimately unsettling. This is a film that demands your full attention to catch the subtle shifts in power and status.
Written by our AI from the facts on this page. It has opinions; it has not watched it.
Another trailer
Trailer · Official Trailer #2
How Lurker leaves you
One line on the mood it ends on, with no plot. Some people count that as a spoiler, so it stays hidden until you ask.
Expect to come away with a lingering sense of cynicism and unease, questioning the artificiality of public personas and the fragile nature of privacy in an era obsessed with total access.
How Lurker ends
Spoilers. The whole ending, in a few lines. Nothing shows until you ask and then confirm.
The film ends with Oliver's friends stopping the tour bus to beat Matthew, allowing Oliver to seize the hard drive containing the blackmail footage. However, as Oliver searches the files, he watches Matthew's documentary edits and appears to reconsider his stance. Sometime later, the finished documentary premieres at a film festival to an enthusiastic audience, and the two men appear together onstage to receive applause.
During a post-screening session, a young photographer in the crowd tells Matthew that he admires him and asks what he must do to be just like him. The film concludes before Matthew can answer. This leaves the moral cost of Matthew's invasive methods and Oliver's complicity hanging, as Matthew has successfully transitioned from a shunned retail worker to a celebrated artist.
Summarised by our AI from the plot section of the Wikipedia article, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. This summary is shared under the same licence.
Stills
Images from TMDB.
If you like this, try
Ingrid Goes West (2017)
the same obsessive desire for proximity to social media stardom
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
a similar exploration of social climbing through deception and identity theft
Saltburn (2023)
the uncomfortable voyeurism of an outsider infiltrating a wealthy inner circle
Suggested by our AI for what they share with this one. Linked titles have a page here; the rest are worth a search on the browse page.
More clips
Trailer · Official Trailer
Clip · "Love and Obsession" Clip
Featurette · LURKER Filmmaker Alex Russell: I Do Highly Recommend Making A Movie
Lurker soundtrack
Music by Kenny Beats
Questions people ask
- Is Lurker a tense film?
- Yes. On Watchlist Boosted it is tagged Tense. An unsettling examination of modern celebrity culture and the blurred lines of fan obsession. It maintains a consistent sense of unease and dread, offering a punishing look at social climbing that will appeal to fans of psychological thrillers.
- How long is Lurker?
- Lurker runs 100 min and was released in 2025.
- Where can I watch Lurker in Australia?
- In Australia, Lurker is included with Netflix (all plans), BINGE, Foxtel Now.
- Who composed the music for Lurker?
- The music for Lurker is by Kenny Beats.
- Is Lurker worth watching?
- Stream it: if you enjoy claustrophobic, character-driven psychological thrillers that critique the dark side of modern celebrity worship. IMDb users rate it 6.8 out of 10 from 2,565 votes, Rotten Tomatoes gives it 94%, Metacritic 78 and TMDB users 6.5.
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