One of the minds behind The Bear has quietly delivered a psychological thriller that’s leaving viewers shaken—and it’s nothing like the show that made them famous. 🖤 There’s no loud horror, no cheap jump scares. Instead, Lurker builds a suffocating sense of dread so slowly that by the time you realize what’s happening, you’re already trapped inside its nightmare.

I have watched more than 130 new releases this year, and there have been some outrageously intense, unsettling, and downright terrifying experiences along the way. In that respect, however, nothing has come close to touching Lurker, the 2025 movie written and directed by Alex Russell, a writer from acclaimed TV series The Bear, Beef, and Dave (the Li’l Dicky show, not the 1993 Kevin Kline classic). Going in, I had a feeling this would be a tension-ridden, anxiety-inducing psychological thriller, but it was something far more unnerving.Let me tell you, this movie starring Théodore Pellerin as a socially awkward retail worker who infiltrates the inner circle of a rising pop star played by Archie Madekwe starts at like a seven and then slowly turns the dial. I won’t give anything away, but this is one of the most uncomfortable movie experiences I’ve had since watching a certain Jake Gyllenaal movie from a decade ago…

Lurker’s Story About Obsession And Control Kept Me On Edge

From start to finish, I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how this was going to play out. Just when I thought I knew where the story was headed, Alex Russell, in his directorial debut, would flip the script and throw me for a loop. Lurker follows Matthew Morning (Pellerin) as he slowly and methodically yet awkwardly becomes closer and closer to Oliver (Madekwe), a pop star on the precipice of global stardom.

What starts as a budding friendship and collaboration between two artists devolves into a story about obsession, control, and someone who isn’t afraid to cross any line to get what they want. Though it never reaches the levels of something like Misery, the relationship between artist and admirer goes to some extremely dark places and crosses the point of no return on more than one occasion.

Matthew’s Descent Into Madness Is Wild

Fueled by obsession, jealousy, a lust for power, and a need to have total control over everything around him, Matthew’s descent into madness is something wild. Théodore Pellerin, whom I was only slightly familiar with before pressing play, does an incredible and frightening job of portraying a tortured loner with a twisted and pervasive understanding of friendship.On one hand, I didn’t like where Matthew was going, especially as he tried to isolate and control Oliver from his friends, management, and everyone else. However, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to see where this was going while watching.

Seriously, I Haven’t Felt Like This Since Watching Nightcrawler

Not only is Lurker the most intense experience I’ve had all year, but it also made me feel away I have felt since watching Nightcrawler back in 2014. Matthew and Jake Gyllenhaal’s Lou Bloom have so much in common, from their coyote-like demeanors to nocturnal activities to the way they infiltrate, control, and ruin everyone around them. Hell, both movies take place in Los Angeles and use the city landscape to create a dark tone and sense of dread throughout.All of that said, I kept thinking about the opportunistic stringer in Nightcrawler while watching Lurker, so much so that I found myself wondering what would happen if those two menacing forces crossed paths.You can watch Lurker with a Mubi subscription, and there are so many good movies over there to further justify it. Just know that this movie makes Friendship, which I thought was the most uncomfortable experience of the year before this, seem like a straight-up comedy.