What separates a fan from a stalker? Mubi’s upcoming psychological thriller Lurker explores that razor-thin boundary—and how easily it can snap.

Described as Nightcrawler for the social media generation, Lurker hits theaters August 22 with a chilling look at obsession, fame, and the hunger for online validation.

Set in Los Angeles’ glittering but cutthroat music scene, the film follows Matthew, a lonely 20-something retail worker who crosses paths with rising pop star Oliver. What starts as admiration soon spirals into something far more dangerous as Matthew claws his way into Oliver’s inner circle. But with fame comes fierce competition—and Matthew is willing to do whatever it takes to stay close.

As their relationship begins to fray, what was once a starry-eyed connection turns toxic, and Matthew’s fixation becomes a full-blown threat. In a world where access is everything, how far will someone go to stay seen?

Lurker stars Théodore Pellerin (Beau Is Afraid) and Archie Madekwe (Saltburn), alongside Zack Fox (Abbott Elementary), Havana Rose Liu (Bottoms), Wale Onayemi, Daniel Zolghadri (Y2K), and Sunny Suljic (The Killing of a Sacred Deer).

Marking the feature debut of The Bear and Beef writer-producer Alex Russell, the film is based on his original screenplay.

Lurker is produced by High Frequency Entertainment, MeMo, and Twin Pictures, in association with Arts & Sciences, Adler Entertainment, Case Study Films, Wise Pictures, and Va Bene Productions.