A movie which made my top 10 list in 2000 was the Talented Mr. Ripley.  It was a brilliant, uncomfortable thriller about a young man played by Matt Damon who, through a series of lies, weaves his way into the life of someone he wants to be.  I use it as a rare example where a film adaptation is even better than the source material (Patricia Highsmith’s novel in this case).  I’ve been thinking about it lately since it’s now become a stage play which has been performed in Sydney and Melbourne over the last three months.

Lurker won’t achieve the same level of acclaim, but it taps into similar themes and fulfills its goals in being an effective thriller.  It’s centred on Matthew Morning (Pellerin), a 20-something-year-old guy who works at a boutique clothing store in Los Angeles.  He’s a massive fan of the celebrity pop star Oliver (Madekwe) who visits the store one day with his small entourage.  Matthew strikes up a carefully orchestrated conversation with Oliver and is invited backstage to an upcoming concert.  It’s not long before he’s part of Oliver’s inner circle – employed as a “documentarian” to capture what happens behind the scenes and transform it into something for adoring fans.

As you’d appreciate with my references to Ripley, Lurker becomes darker with each sequence.  Matthew isn’t the simple, naïve, socially awkward they first encounter.  His employment and growing friendship with Oliver raise eyebrows within the crew.  Is this because they’re jealously protecting their own place in Oliver’s orbit… or are their suspicions of Matthew valid?  The arrival of another newcomer (Suljic) adds a further dimension to the increasingly fraught power games.

Lurker markers the feature film directing debut of Alex Russell, who has made a name for himself in recent years as a producer of two successful television shows, The Bear and Beef (the later winning him an Emmy).  The movie has been praised since its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, and you can add my name to the list of endorsers.  If this film is any indication, Russell is a sharp filmmaker with a knack for establishing tone and finding a great cast.

Canadian Théodore Pellerin (Never Rarely Sometimes Always) is terrific as Matthew.  Russell’s script allows him to create a character who can be respected for his cunningness but also loathed for his creepiness.  England-born Archie Madekwe (Saltburn) also impresses as Oliver.  He’s got one of the best voices in Hollywood (I say that in every review) and he deftly illustrates the control one has in being a celebrity.  He has the sovereignty to make people feel incredibly special one day, and then entirely dispensable the next.

The climax doesn’t quite hit the mark (it’s a touch contrived) but Lurker is still an engaging thriller about authority, friendship and fandom.