This Tense 2025 Thriller With A 94% Rotten Tomatoes Score Is A Must-Watch On HBO Max

2025 was a great year for movies, even if some of the very best were the most overlooked. The most underrated movie of the year was a disturbingly relevant future classic that flew under everyone's radar. Similarly, the excellent "Lurker" from writer/director Alex Russell came and went without making much of an impression on audiences. That was a real shame because the film received critical acclaim and deserved much wider attention. Luckily, "Lurker" is now available to stream on HBO Max.

The psychological thriller premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival ahead of its United States release, courtesy of Mubi, in August of that year. As you might expect, then, "Lurker" didn't receive all that much attention. With its debut on HBO Max, however, the film should hopefully gain new fans. Thus far, it's been climbing the most-watched movies chart, which certainly bodes well.

"Lurker" follows Théodore Pellerin's Matthew Morning, a somewhat listless twenty-something who works at a clothing store in Los Angeles. When popstar Oliver (played by "Saltburn" actor Archie Madekwe) visits the store, however, Matthew immediately perks up, playing one of Oliver's favorite Nile Rodgers songs to gain his attention before ingratiating himself with the singer and his initially hostile entourage. This is the first of many calculated moves Matthew makes in order to curry favor. As he and Oliver grow closer, the enterprising youngster proves to be a little more than just resourceful, revealing a darker side that might just be matched by his new obsession.

"Lurker" is ostensibly a thriller, but what makes it so effective is that it also plays as an extremely convincing naturalistic drama, and it's scarier than most horror movies released in 2025. That's not to say the film is a horror, but "Lurker" goes to some dark places and all of them feel uncomfortably recognizable as reflections of our own increasingly twisted culture.

Alex Russell, who wrote on "Dave," "The Bear," and "Beef," delivered an exploration of what celebrity means in the modern age, in which all our idols cultivate parasocial relationships unlike anything possible in the pre-internet age. More than that, however, it speaks to a time where social media has exacerbated everybody's need to, at the very least, appear successful to others. The movie feels particularly timely amid a culture dominated by pseudo-celebrity influencers and online grifters who have somehow built devoted followings. "Lurker" puts both the idols and their worshippers under the microscope.

We see the irresistible allure of fame consume Matthew as he manipulates Oliver and his entourage in scenes that feel consistently realistic thanks to a combination of Russell's writing, performances that feel believably spontaneous, and the hand-held, almost vérité cinematography of Pat Scola, who previously served as DoP on the haunting Nicholas Cage drama "Pig." As far-fetched as some of the later developments in "Lurker" become, the sense of believability never really breaks. Perhaps most importantly, Russell doesn't allow himself to answer whether it's the fans or the figureheads at fault. The whole thing is an indictment of the sordid nature of modern-day fame and those who pursue it, and it's brilliant.

If you're still on the fence as to whether "Lurker" is worth your time, consider the film's 94% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics absolutely loved Alex Russell's debut directorial effort, with Wendy Ide of The Observer writing, "The film is so acerbic that watching it at times feels like being attached to a drip-feed of pure venom. And while it may not sound like it, that's high praise indeed." That sentiment was echoed by Rolling Stone's David Fear, who described the film as "the sort of irony-rich indie film that leaves you in a state that's equal parts nausea and bliss." Meanwhile, Clint Worthington of RogerEbert.com summed things up succinctly when he wrote that "Lurker' "feels like 'Nightcrawler' for starf*****s."

Of all the "top critic" reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, only one was negative, with the Chicago Reader's Maxwell Rabb asserting that "a film about idol worship in the social media age has to go a little more unhinged." That's about the worst thing any reviewer had to say, however, which should give you some idea of just how well "Lurker" was received.

HBO Max viewers have certainly gravitated towards the film. According to FlixPatrol, "Lurker" snuck its way onto the United States most-watched movie charts, debuting at number five before falling to the ninth position. But the movie seems to exhibit some of Matthew's own obsessive determination and has since climbed back to the eighth spot. If you want to help what is easily one of 2025's best films claim its rightful spot at number one, it's available to stream right now.