HBO Max Just Dropped One of 2025’s Best Psychological Thrillers — Stream It Now

If you missed it in theaters (or at Sundance), you can now catch 'Lurker'—one of those buzzy psychological thrillers people love to debate—without leaving your couch. HBO Max just dropped the film, fresh from its impressive run on the festival circuit and a shiny 94% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Yeah, that number is from 117 critics. Not shabby for a movie that only premiered earlier this year.

So, What Exactly Is 'Lurker'?

Let me set the stage: 'Lurker' is the first movie written and directed by Alex Russell. If his name rings a bell, that's because he's had a hand in some top-tier TV recently—he's worked on 'The Bear' and 'Beef.' (He even has an Emmy for 'Beef,' so no, you don't have to worry if this is some amateur hour project.)

The story zeroes in on a retail clerk (played by Théodore Pellerin) who manages to wedge himself into the life of a rising pop star, played by Archie Madekwe (you might know him from 'Gran Turismo'). The whole thing quickly gets twisted: the friendship lines get blurry, and soon you're wondering how far one person will go just to belong. It's social climbing meets full-blown obsession, and, without spoiling anything, things do not end in hugs and harmony.

Who's Who in the Cast?

• Archie Madekwe as the pop star (he also produced the film—flex much?)
• Théodore Pellerin as the ambitious retail clerk
• Zack Fox, Havana Rose Liu, Wale Onayemi, Daniel Zolghadri, and Sunny Suljic round out the supporting cast

If you're into movie trivia, get this: Madekwe didn't just act and produce—he also gets musical in the film, performing original tracks made by Kenny Beats, Dijon, and Rex Orange County. I can't say that happens a lot outside of musicals or biopics.

Production Notes (And, Yes, There's a Lot of Them)

Apparently, an entire football team of producers and executive producers wanted their name on this. Here are the highlights, just to give you an idea:

Executive producing: Mal Ward, Matt Aselton, Alfonso Angoitia Legorreta, Gabriele Moratti, Lily Collins (yep, that one), Nicholas Wirth, Nicol Pone, and Ben Shafer. Producing: Alex Orlovsky, Duncan Montgomery, Galen Core, Marc Marrie, Charlie McDowell, Francesco Melzi D’Eril, Olmo Schnabel, and Jack Selby.

What the Movie's Actually About (In One Line)

'When a twenty-something retail clerk encounters a rising pop star, he takes the opportunity to edge his way into the in-crowd. But as the line between friend and fan blurs beyond recognition, access and proximity become a matter of life and death.'

So that's the pitch—they've taken the whole 'fan culture goes overboard' thing and dialed it up to eleven. Basically, if you like your thrillers with a dose of pop music and a lot of social anxiety, it's worth your time. And now you don't even have to leave the house. HBO Max has you covered.