It’s time that we start looking at MUBI as a top boutique distributor alongside A24 and NEON. Riding the wave of the five Academy Award nominations for The Substance, and the Golden Globes/Critics Choice wins for Demi Moore’s performance, the distributor has now acquired the buzzy Sundance thriller, Lurker after an intense bidding war.
One of my favorite films at the festival, you can read my review here, Lurker stars Saltburn and Gran Turismo breakout Archie Madekwe as Oliver, a rising pop star who unwittingly allows Matthew (played by Theodore Pellerin), an obsessed hipster, into his inner circle. Matthew then proceeds to exploit the situation at the expense of others, reaping the rewards of celebrity and community.
The film was written and directed by Alex Russell, a writer on the hit shows The Bear and Beef.
“It was already such a privilege to show our movie at Sundance last week. I’m honestly still reeling and recovering from that experience” said director Alex Russell. “To have found such an ideal partner in MUBI and get the chance to bring it wider feels like an added bonus.”
I love MUBI as the place where Lurker ended up. The film is surprisingly funny and tense, exploring the dark side of celebrity fandom, mental illness, and loneliness. They can easily push Pellerin’s twisted performance as a highlight, but I would instead put the focus on Madekwe who is poised to be a superstar and this could be the movie that does it. I would personally hold this until a bit later in the year, but for now a release date has not been set.
