It began with a whisper. A quiet murmur across late-night movie forums. A mysterious Sundance screening. A scary poster stealthily appeared on Instagram. It showed a blurry figure in the backdrop watching.
No one knew for sure what Lurker was. But everyone felt it.
People were talking. Was it scary? Was that a strange psychodrama? Was it a takedown of fame? Of fans? The only thing we know for sure is that Alex Russell, a hard-to-find indie filmmaker who became a cult favourite director, was behind the camera. And at its core? A friendship between a supermarket worker and a budding pop singer that could end badly.
“I was shaking when I left the screening,” one person who went to the Berlinale wrote on Reddit. “It’s not just creepy; it sticks with you.”
People on the online cinema community have been guessing for months about when more people will eventually get to see what some have termed “the most quietly terrifying film of the year.” After a lot of festival wins and mysterious social media posts, the Lurker release date is finally here.
Lurker Release Date Confirmed
Mark your calendars: On August 22, 2025, Lurker will come out in U.S. theatres. On August 29, it will come out in Canada through Mubi. Earlier this year, the movie got great reviews at Sundance. Then, during the Berlin International Film Festival, it haunted screens and got people talking about its creeping tension and captivating performances.
Focus Features will handle worldwide distribution, and Mubi has bought the North American rights. Deadline says that the distribution plan will centre on a “elevated rollout,” with a few art-house screenings followed by a platform expansion. This shows that they believe Lurker has a lot of word-of-mouth potential.
Meet the Players: The Obsession Behind the Screen
Théodore Pellerin (Never Rarely Sometimes Always) plays Matthew, a soft-spoken store clerk with a dangerously compulsive tendency, at the centre of Lurker. What is his obsession? Archie Madekwe (Saltburn, See) plays Oliver, a rising music star with a disturbing attraction.
Their chemistry is shocking and quite disturbing. The movie shows how Matthew slowly gets into Oliver’s group of friends, going from a fan to something far more personal and deadly.
Zack Fox, Havana Rose Liu, Daniel Zolghadri, and Sunny Suljic play supporting roles in a Gen Z group that makes the performances feel urgent, raw, and disturbingly real.
Alex Russell, the director of the short film Mirror Maze, which gained him a cult following, is said to have come up with Lurker after a public meltdown on social media in 2023. Some admirers now think that this event inspired the film’s main topic of parasocial addiction.
Watch the Official Lurker Trailer
The trailer only shows bits and pieces, like a hallway behind the scenes, a shaking hand, and a party where no one is smiling. But the attitude is clear: it’s paranoid, private, and almost voyeuristic.
Fan Reactions: Theories, Chills, and Indie Praise
As the trailer makes its rounds and early screeners leave audiences buzzing, Lurker has ignited a storm of fan chatter online. From genre analysis to casting surprises, film Twitter is eating this one up.
One user tweeted:
Male friendship to falling out to revenge movies are so in right now
— Young Shawn (@ChazzMichaelM17) June 5, 2025
Another couldn’t get enough of one standout moment:
Zack Fox playing himself was the best part of this movie
— cheetah keys (@noongwuhoh) June 6, 2025
The verdict? Cult classic energy, with just the right amount of chaos.
The Real Drama: Delays, Disappearances, and Directorial Silence
The journey to freedom has not been easy. In January, Mubi released a teaser for the movie, but then it disappeared from their press calendar without any explanation. People close to the situation said that Russell and Mubi didn’t agree on the final cut. Others said that the shoot was quite stressful and emotionally draining, and several cast members even went silent on social media for a short time while it was happening.
In an interview at Berlinale, Pellerin reportedly claimed, “There were days when I didn’t know who I was anymore,” which worried and interested followers.
Russell is still mostly off the grid, with no public interviews or press tour schedule. Is it a way to get people to buy things? maybe something more?
FAQs: What You’re Dying to Know About Lurker
Where can I see Lurker when it comes out?
Starting on August 22, 2025, in theatres in the U.S. There is no set timetable for a streaming release on Mubi, although it is expected to happen later this year.
Is Lurker a real story?
No, however a lot of people think it was inspired by real-life fan obsessions and scandals in the industry.
Is there a scene after the credits?
Not confirmed. Some early audiences at Sundance said they stayed after the credits and saw a final scary frame. Don’t believe everything you hear.
What kind of book is Lurker?
It’s a mix of a psychological thriller and a queer psychodrama. It’s like Black Swan meets Swimfan plus a little bit of The Idol.
The Final Watcher
Blood and jump scares don’t make Lurker scary. It’s the slow, stifling loss of trust between friends, between celebrity and fandom, and between what is real and what isn’t.
It’s a movie about being watched and, much worse, wanting to be seen.
And now, everyone in the world will be watching.
Do you think the youngsters were forced to go, or did they go on their own? Put your ideas down below!
