Looking For Hidden Gems To Stream? | At The Movies With Kasey
In the strange lull between sequels and summer blockbusters, I went looking for movies to stream that did not receive much fanfare. I came away with an arty thriller and a sunny Italian romcom reminiscent of You Me & Tuscany.
In Lurker, Matthew (Théodore Pellerin) is a retail worker who has a chance encounter with an up-and-coming pop artist, Ollie (Archie Madekwe), and ingratiates himself into his entourage as a videographer and documentarian. When Matthew’s former co-worker, Jamie (Sunny Suljic), also finds his way into Ollie’s circle, his jealousy causes him to lash out, starting a conflict over staying in the group that spirals out of his control.
Originally distributed by the arthouse platform MUBI, Lurker got its wider streaming debut on HBO Max. The film has a very slow burn and a gritty edge, but the story hinges on whether the audience really cares about Matthew’s quest to join Oliver’s entourage. Although the commentary on parasocial relationships and the strange magnetism of celebrity lands, I did not feel invested in the story. Others might. And where the stakes did not work for me, the film still had an artistic style that contrasted the stark lights of the mall with the dim settings of music clubs; rough handheld footage with polished productions. These contrasts help drive home the gap between who Matthew is and who he wants to be.
As Matthew, Théodore Pellerin gives a seething performance. I wish the screenplay had given the character more interiority instead of making him an empty vessel standing in for those obsessed with celebrity, but when he feels threatened, his glares are chilling, driving the suspense of the film. As Matthew struggles to stay on the inside, the film starts to plod along listlessly until a climactic scene between him and Ollie that digs into the transactional nature of their relationships and the emotional fallout with resonance that was lacking before. In this moment, Archie Madekwe breaks through with a performance that finally gives Ollie any depth at all. In the final act, he asks “what’s the difference between love and obsession,” but it does not seem like anyone in this film feels love or obsession so much as a desire for attention.
Lurker engages with similar themes to the 2017 Aubrey Plaza film Ingrid Goes West, but that film’s absurd, comedic tone gave its commentary on clout-chasing and fan relationships more bite. By contrast, Lurker is a stylish film that shows a lot of skill in its production, but takes its characters too seriously without giving them the development needed for the story to feel meaningful.
Lurker was written and directed by Alex Russell. It runs 100 minutes and is rated R.
On Amazon Prime, No Place to Be Single is set in a Tuscan vineyard, where Elisa (Matilde Gioli) and her family have dedicated their lives to caring for the estate. When the heir to the vineyard, Elisa’s childhood friend Michele (Christiano Caccamo), returns intending to sell the vineyard, her ideas about love, family, and her life’s work are challenged. Meanwhile, her sister, Giada (Amanda Campana), and daughter, Linda (Margherita Rebeggiani), are each involved in romantic antics of their own.
No Place to Be Single could have easily been a miniseries with all of its B-plots and convoluted twists. The screenplay is too stuffed with sidequests, but I enjoyed the characters involved in them too much to wish anything was cut.
As Elisa, Matilde Gioli’s performance is organic and charming, making her a lead to root for in a sometimes cliched enemies-to-lovers plot. Her concerns about the land and her daughter give the plot relatable stakes, and Gioli’s facial expressions sell them. Christiano Caccamo often comes off a little corny, but he and Gioli have plenty of chemistry. I actually found myself more invested in the subplot between Giada and Carlo, who get caught up in a scheme to convince Michele not to sell the vineyard. Sebastiano Pigazzi and Amanda Campana have such natural screen presence, and the development of their relationship felt much more realistic.
The English dubbing over the original Italian is poorly synced and sometimes distracts from the performances. Dubbing usually looks a little silly, and this quality may emphasize how the story leans on romantic-comedy tropes. No Place to Be Single sometimes feels like a Hallmark movie, but only in the good ways. The best parts, however, focus not on romance but on the relationships between the women in Elisa’s family and the love she has for tending to the olives, the wine, and the land she has made a life on.
No Place to Be Single was adapted by Alessandra Martellini and Giulia Magda Martinez, based on the novel by Felicia Kingsley. It was directed by Laura Chissone and runs 103 minutes.
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