Lurker
This review contains spoilers
The swerve:
- You know Matthew is a creepy stalker-type, and then he is shown to be one, blackmailing the artist he's trying to "help." This does lead to a certain authenticity that Oliver was lacking, and the documentary Matthew is shooting gets good reception. And it ends with them on stage together, answering questions, and you get no relief from what Matthew is doing.
There's basically a "good" and "bad" ending, like a video game, depending on your interpretation.
The "good":
Oliver ends up appreciating Matthew. You see this while he happily watches the music video Matthew commandeered, and the fact that he says kind words on stage during the Q&A. So, it would be good in that, despite everything, two toxic people form a real bond.
The "bad":
Oliver is stuck in a loop. He can't get rid of Matthew because Matthew has some terrible stuff on him that will ruin his life and career. So, the stalker/obsessed person ends up winning.
Lurker doesn't go the route I thought it might. Firstly, it ends abruptly. Secondly, while we do see Oliver's boys kick the shit out of him, it never actually turns into what many other films of this ilk might: it's not some sadistic outcome with someone getting killed, or multiple people getting killed. So that's kind of neat, even if I don't love it.
- You know Matthew is a creepy stalker-type, and then he is shown to be one, blackmailing the artist he's trying to "help." This does lead to a certain authenticity that Oliver was lacking, and the documentary Matthew is shooting gets good reception. And it ends with them on stage together, answering questions, and you get no relief from what Matthew is doing.
There's basically a "good" and "bad" ending, like a video game, depending on your interpretation.
The "good":
Oliver ends up appreciating Matthew. You see this while he happily watches the music video Matthew commandeered, and the fact that he says kind words on stage during the Q&A. So, it would be good in that, despite everything, two toxic people form a real bond.
The "bad":
Oliver is stuck in a loop. He can't get rid of Matthew because Matthew has some terrible stuff on him that will ruin his life and career. So, the stalker/obsessed person ends up winning.
Lurker doesn't go the route I thought it might. Firstly, it ends abruptly. Secondly, while we do see Oliver's boys kick the shit out of him, it never actually turns into what many other films of this ilk might: it's not some sadistic outcome with someone getting killed, or multiple people getting killed. So that's kind of neat, even if I don't love it.
Mini Review: Even if you didn't know the premise, you'd be able to tell in 5 minutes that Matthew is going to do something weird because it's such an awkward performance. But it isn't bad. If you need resolution to enjoy a movie, you won't find it here because it's abrupt and offers no reprieve from how shitty the people involved are. Most of the movie is predictable, but I do appreciate how it swerves at the end, even if it's not entirely satisfying.
Watch the Trailer