Pop Culture Happy Hour
Episode: "Lurker And What's Making Us Happy"
Date: August 22, 2025
Host: Linda Holmes
Co-hosts: Aisha Harris, Glenn Weldon, Stephen Thompson
Episode Overview
In this episode, the Pop Culture Happy Hour crew unpacks Lurker, a tense new film exploring the intoxicating—and sometimes dangerous—dynamics between fame, obsessive friendship, and the quest for identity. The panel explores the film’s deft depiction of parasocial relationships, examines its blurred power dynamics, and draws illuminating parallels with contemporary pop culture. The episode closes, as always, with the team sharing what's making them happy this week.
Deep Dive: Lurker
1. Film Introduction and Set-Up
Linda Holmes outlines the premise:
- Matthew, a lonely retail clerk (Theodore Pellerin), becomes fixated on Oliver, a rising musician (Archie Madequi).
- Matthew is absorbed into Oliver’s entourage, ostensibly to help with a documentary, but the relationship becomes fraught with jealousy, possessiveness, and shifting power dynamics.
- Written and directed by Alex Russell (Beef, The Bear), Lurker is described as a film focused on the fine lines between admiration, obsession, and identity (01:03).
2. Critique and Discussion
Aisha Harris: Obsession and Parasocial Relationships (02:24)
- Finds the film “catnip” for her personal taste, loving its fixation on parasocial relationships and thin lines between admiration, homoeroticism, and obsession:
“I love a movie that is about parasocial relationships...what's the difference between love and obsession?”
- Draws comparison to Saltburn but argues Lurker is more accessible to a wider audience, owing to its psychological depth and ties to recent works like Beef.
- Praises Theodore Pellerin's portrayal of a “sociopathic striver.”
Stephen Thompson: Precariousness and Sound (03:54)
- Agrees with Aisha, citing stellar performances and the film’s tense, horror-inflected atmosphere:
“It does such a beautiful job conveying the horror of precariousness...a horror movie when it's just somebody walking into a room and clocking the expressions.”
- Highlights the expert score by Kenny Beets and cameos/songwriting involvement by artists like Rex Orange County and Dijon.
“I was scribbling...Rex Orange County, Dijon, Omar Apollo...and one of the songs is co-written by Rex Orange County.” (05:04)
- Notes Oliver’s “precarious” fame status is perfectly calibrated for the narrative.
Glenn Weldon: Power Dynamics and the Title (06:23)
- Applauds the script for its efficient storytelling:
“In any other movie, that's what, 15, 20 minutes of backstory collapsed into 30 seconds of screen time.”
- Argues the focus isn’t the chase but “what happens once you penetrate the inner circle,” examining emotional and social maneuvering.
- Compares Lurker to Entourage if it seriously explored its own power plays.
Ambiguity and Moral Complexity (08:03)
- The group agrees the film refuses to paint characters as purely good or evil.
- Both Matthew and Oliver manipulate and exploit those around them, but both are also needy and vulnerable.
- Linda:
“There is not an unambiguous statement from the film that, like, here is the good guy and here's the bad guy.”
Social Circles and Hangers-On (10:32)
- Aisha likens Oliver’s entourage to those orbiting figures like Drake, full of “yes men” and enablers trading in superficial affection and proximity.
- Zach Fox (“the obstacle boyfriend in Abbott Elementary,” 10:40) and Havana Rose Liu as the “mother hen” are praised for their roles fleshing out the group dynamic.
- Glenn: “She’s an enabler...kind of, of both of them.”
Pecking Orders and Group Dynamics (11:50)
- Stephen notes the well-developed secondary characters and their shifting status within the group—Matthew’s rivalry with Noah, the original videographer, and the ongoing tension with Jamie, his former coworker.
- Glenn credits Archie Madequi’s performance, capturing Oliver’s “complicitness”—vulnerable yet capable of emotional exploitation.
Desire and Exploitation (13:04)
- Parallels are drawn to The Talented Mr. Ripley and Saltburn, focusing on the line between wanting to possess or consume someone and wanting to be them.
- The central dynamic: both Oliver and Matthew are “black holes of need”—seeking validation, notoriety, or simply an identity.
- Linda:
“The engine that drives this entire story is that both Oliver and Matthew are just black holes of need, whether it's attention or prominence…” (14:14)
The Artists’ Delusion (16:56)
- Matthew quickly reframes himself as an “artist” in Oliver’s orbit, another layer of the film’s commentary on identity and ambition.
- Stephen: “He's not just a hanger on. He has decreed himself to be part of this art that everyone is talking about.”
Youth, Need, and Naiveté (18:02)
- The hosts sympathize with the characters’ youthful confusion, loneliness, and search for purpose.
- Glenn:
“I just watched this movie going, oh, don't be in your 20s. Oh, don't ever be in your 20s.” (18:15)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On blurred lines between love, admiration, and obsession:
“What's the difference between wanting to be someone and maybe wanting to actually have sex with them?” —Aisha Harris (02:24)
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On group dynamics and competition:
“You're calling this dude Ali already?” —Zach Fox’s character ribbing Matthew’s sudden intimacy (10:40)
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On youth and need:
“The engine that drives this entire story is that both Oliver and Matthew are just black holes of need...” —Linda Holmes (14:14)
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On the social media dimension:
“When Oliver and all of Oliver's circle start following him on Instagram and he realizes, he takes a screenshot as it's happening.” —Aisha Harris (15:00)
“That is another thing that this movie gets so right...what are so many people doing for jobs they're not actually doing?” —Aisha Harris (16:03) -
On wisdom for listeners:
“Oh, don't be in your 20s. Oh, don't ever be in your 20s.” —Glenn Weldon (18:15)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:21-03:10: Film introduction, premise, cast, creative team
- 03:37-06:23: Parasocial relationships, comparisons to Saltburn, the film’s tone
- 06:23-08:03: Script structure, themes of group infiltration, shifting power
- 08:03-10:32: Ambiguity in character morality, complicity, and the blurred line between manipulation and need
- 10:32-12:15: Side characters, group dynamics, Matthew’s rivalry
- 13:04-16:56: Desire, vulnerability, and social media validation
- 16:56-18:15: Matthew’s self-perception as an artist; parallels to youth and lost identity
What’s Making Us Happy This Week (20:48)
Glenn Weldon:
- Comic book: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (Tom King, Bilquis Evely)
- “Space opera meets samurai epic meets True Grit... what they're basing the Supergirl movie on.” (20:56)
Aisha Harris:
- Film: Misericordia (director Alain Gihodi)
- “The less known going in, the better...features one of the weirdest and most surprising scenes involving confession with a priest that I have ever seen.” (21:46)
Stephen Thompson:
- Album: Like Plasticine by Gordy (Australian singer-songwriter Sophie Peyton)
- “These beautiful, bleary, haunting, slower song (sic), and then these effervescent, spangly, poppy marvels...I've gone back to this record again and again.” (22:53)
Linda Holmes:
- Video game: Tiny Bookshop (for PC, Mac, Switch)
- “You run a tiny bookshop in a breezy little town full of friendly locals...the best part is they start asking you to recommend a book for them.” (24:09)
- Aisha: “That's one of the nerdiest things we've recommended in a minute on this show. I love it.” (25:31)
Tone & Takeaways
- The hosts maintain a lively, candid, and sometimes bemused tone throughout, delighted by the film's psychological acuity while acknowledging its intensity and discomfort.
- The discussion is a mix of deep literary and pop culture analysis, relatable reflections on youth and social striving, and lots of good-natured ribbing between co-hosts.
- Lurker is unanimously praised as a film that incisively explores need, identity, ambition, and the blurry lines between love and obsession.
- The “What’s Making Us Happy” segment celebrates the eclectic: a comic book, a French art film, an Australian pop album, and a cozy video game—each lovingly described.
For listeners interested in obsession, social dynamics, or coming-of-age in complicated times—Lurker (and the conversation around it) offers much to chew on. For more pop culture delights, check out the recommendations from the cheerful, curious Happy Hour crew.