Lurker 2025

Matthew Morning, Théodore Pellerin, works as a retail clerk at a busy Los Angeles clothing store where he first catches the eye of a rising pop musician, Archie Madekwe. Oliver’s love for an under-appreciated song he plays over the store speakers sparks an instant connection, and what begins as a casual backstage invitation blossoms into a formal offer: become Oliver’s documentarian and ride along with his entourage. At first, the crew is wary of the newcomer, but Matthew’s eye for visuals and his knack for storytelling gradually win them over, helping him contribute a growing stream of visuals that shape Oliver’s upcoming album cycle. The demand of the work pulls Matthew away from his ordinary retail life, and he ends up quitting his day job to devote himself fully to the project.

As Matthew’s association with Oliver deepens, he becomes a recognizable figure in the orbit surrounding the star, riding the crest of social media fame that follows from their collaboration. Jamie, Sunny Suljic, a former co-worker who is also an Oliver admirer, asks for a chance to meet him and soon slides into the entourage as the group’s stylist—a role that stirs tension with Matthew, who worries about losing his own place in Oliver’s inner circle. Despite the friction, the dynamic remains electric, with Oliver’s direction and Matthew’s visuals amplifying the artist’s reach and influence.

The group travels to London for a big concert, and the trip magnifies the pressure, jealousy, and fragility inside the circle. Matthew’s insecurity grows, and he attempts to chip away at Jamie’s position, actions that culminate in a dangerous accident: Jamie is injured when he’s knocked from a ladder during a photoshoot. The incident forces Oliver and the rest of the crew to confront the consequences of the rift, and Matthew finds himself increasingly shunned by the entourage he once hoped to belong to.

Unable to repair the damage through apology alone, Matthew latches onto a more extreme plan. He discovers two underage fans who have backstage access and records a candid moment between them and Oliver, who believes they’re adults. The footage becomes leverage; Matthew uses it to blackmail Oliver, reasserting himself into the tour and recommitting to completing the documentary regardless of the cost. Oliver’s fear of losing both friendship and artistic integrity fuels their tense power dynamic as the tour rolls on.

On the road, Oliver repeatedly tries to retrieve the hard drive where Matthew has stored the footage, and he makes a final plea to be seen as a true friend by cutting the footage or eliminating the source of pressure. Matthew insists that the documentary isn’t just a project—it’s the motive force behind his own growth as an artist, and he claims to be the first real friend Oliver has, one who won’t simply say yes to everything.

The tour’s endgame arrives in a bleak, desolate stretch where the bus is halted and Oliver’s friends mete out a beating to Matthew, removing him temporarily from the equation while Oliver finally gains access to the hard drive. Yet as Oliver digs through the contents, he stumbles upon the edited, crafted truth of Matthew’s documentary—an awareness that unsettles him and hints at a reconsideration of the rift that had grown between them. Time passes, and Matthew’s documentary premieres at a film festival to a cheering crowd, with Oliver standing beside him as the two share the spotlight.

In the aftermath, the film distills a quiet but powerful moment: when an aspiring photographer in the audience asks how Matthew reached this point, the answer catches in his throat. The closing image lingers on Matthew as he stammers, leaving the question hanging in the air—an ambiguous punctuation mark that suggests the journey between artist and friend may be more complex than either of them anticipated.