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bitchy | Jobson: QEII ‘covered security costs’ for Prince Harry & Archie for one year
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bitchy | Jobson: QEII ‘covered security costs’ for Prince Harry & Archie for one year

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Another royalist has written another half-fictional book about the Windsor clan. This time it’s Robert Jobson, and his latest book is The Windsor Legacy. A legacy of abuse, neglect, dishonor, disrespect and trailer-trash antics, if you ask me. The Mail has already started publishing excerpts from the book, and I just thought we should get into it. Going strictly by the first excerpts, Jobson has set it up the bulk of all of the stories are about how the Sussexes are damned if they do, damned if they don’t, and they absolutely never, ever get it right, obviously. Jobson gets most of his leaks, briefings and exclusives from King Charles’s camp – he’s a Charles/Camilla loyalist, if anything. So just understand that this is Charles’s narrative on certain subjects:

Prince Harry called QEII in late 2020: She may have suspected what he wanted to discuss. Before Harry had left Britain in 2020, the Queen and Prince Charles had arranged to cover security costs for him and his son Archie for a whole year. In addition, Harry’s father had offered to assist with household bills and living expenses while the Sussexes settled into their new lives – first in Canada and then in California. But was that enough? Harry seemed to be finding the shift from being a working royal rather harder than he’d expected. Sure enough, he called his grandmother back the following day – though this time not during the sacred hour. And this time she took his call. After hanging up, she sighed and said in front of her staff: ‘More money.’

QEII hated how much money Meghan spent on clothes: One matter that did anger her, though, was Meghan’s taste for expensive designer clothes. She’d looked stunning when, nine months after the royal wedding, she appeared in a custom-made Christian Dior gown during a reception in February 2019 at the British ambassador’s residence in Rabat, Morocco. However, the cost of her wardrobe for the Sussexes’ official tour of Morocco was causing comment back home. Certainly, the estimated £60,000 price tag for the Dior dress drew the Queen’s ire when she read about it in the press. She later let Meghan know that such an expensive outfit was an ill-judged choice.

QEII thought the Sussexit was awful! Privately, Queen Elizabeth described Harry’s behaviour as ‘quite mad’. She made it clear to those close to her that she felt let down by the Sussexes’ departure, which she saw as short-sighted and a missed opportunity. The Queen had warmly welcomed Meghan, viewing her dual heritage, beauty and communication skills as assets to the family. When everything fell apart, she publicly wished the couple well. As time went on, however, she tired of all their dramatics, and ordered that Harry’s phone calls be redirected to his father.

Harry telling Oprah that his father & brother are trapped: William felt totally betrayed. He insisted to friends there was no way he felt trapped, and licensed them to talk to the media. He also famously declared: ‘We are very much not a racist family.’ The two brothers spoke on the phone – and days later, CBS TV host Gayle King revealed that their conversation was ‘not productive’. The leak felt like yet another betrayal.

QEII sent for Philip’s companion: Just over a week after the Oprah interview, Prince Philip was released from hospital. He was lethargic, sluggish and didn’t want to leave his room, which worried the Queen. She sent for his close companion Penny, the Countess Mountbatten, hoping her presence would help him regain his zest for life – and he briefly rallied.

The Sussexes naming their daughter after QEII: A Palace source has a different version of events, which is that the Queen first learned of Lilibet’s name from the morning press, and was so incensed at the affront that she threw the paper to the floor, startling her staff. Later, during one of the Sussexes’ final UK visits before her death, they skipped a planned tea – that daily ritual so precious to the Queen. What’s more, they skipped it without giving her notice. She had requested a special cake. By 5.15 p.m., with no word, she told staff to clear everything away.

QEII’s thoughts on William: Although she loved William and saw much to admire, she told insiders that she feared he might become a ‘celebrity monarch’ rather than a dedicated one. His rigidity, according to a royal source, occasionally frustrated her. A case in point was when the Queen asked him to stand in for her at the official opening of Thames Hospice’s new 29-bed facility by Bray Lake, Berkshire, near Windsor. She had a particular connection with it through a retiring staff member who had looked after the budgerigars at the Royal Aviary, and she didn’t want to let anyone down. But on the day of the ceremony, July 15, 2022, she was feeling particularly frail. William’s schedule might well have accommodated this last-minute duty, but he cried off, citing fatherly duties. This left his grandmother not only disappointed but irritated. She is said to have scoffed: ‘Isn’t that what nannies and policemen are for?’

Charles’s call to Harry last year: The King, who’d broken the news of his cancer to Harry in a phone call, had started treatment straight away. He was undergoing chemotherapy and felt a strong need for peace and quiet. The last thing he needed was any drama – yet, without an invitation, Harry took it upon himself to fly over to see his father. The King had planned to spend the weekend at Sandringham in Norfolk, so he was irritated at being forced to wait in London until his son arrived. Their meeting was brief, around 30 minutes. Wary of letting Harry prolong it, Charles had pre-arranged for the meeting to be interrupted with a warning that it was time for a medical procedure. His son left soon afterwards. In fact, there was no procedure scheduled, and never had been. Instead, the King flew straight to Sandringham on a helicopter that had been standing by for his delayed journey.

[From The Daily Mail]

“The Queen and Prince Charles had arranged to cover security costs for him and his son Archie for a whole year…” Carefully worded AND false. While the original deal was for protection for the Sussexes (Meghan included) for a year, that was withdrawn in March 2020. When Harry called his father and grandmother in 2020, he was trying to get answers about his security, not money. But it’s interesting that even in this horrific, false, pro-Windsor account, they’re making sure that no one would believe that they ever agreed to protect the only woman of color to marry into the family.

What else? More horses-t about Lili’s name and QEII throwing a tantrum, which I still don’t believe. I think the courtiers and Charles and William were the ones throwing tantrums, and QEII was pretty much fine with the name. The part about Charles being pissed at Harry for wanting to see him after a cancer diagnosis is shocking, but not for the reasons Jobson believes. The thing about William refusing to step in for his dying grandmother is wild though – his commitment to being lazy as hell extended that far, where he turned down his frail, dying grandmother when she asked him to work a few hours. Bonkers. These people are horrible.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

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Generated by Gemini
Celebrity News

How Prince Harry & Meghan Are Shielding Archie & Lilibet From The Spotlight – Hollywood Life

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Image Credit: Generated by Gemini

It’s the central paradox of their new life: two of the most famous people in the world are desperately trying to give their children a normal existence. When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle traded the ancient castles of the UK for the sunny hills of Montecito, California, it wasn’t just a personal choice—it was the opening move in a high-stakes battle to control their family’s narrative and safety (Vogue, 2020). Since stepping back from their royal duties in 2020, they have built a fortress of privacy around their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, making them two of the most protected and thus fascinating kids on the planet.

The global fascination with the Sussex children is immense. As seen recently, when a rare glimpse of them in a TV special sparked a worldwide social media debate over their hair color, every tiny detail becomes a major news event (ABC News, 2025). This intense scrutiny highlights the core question of their parents’ mission: how have the Sussexes built such a private sanctuary around their children in a world of constant surveillance and digital exposure? More importantly, what can you learn from their fight as a parent navigating your family’s digital life?

The Montecito Fortress: A New Model for Royal Life

The first step in protecting Archie and Lilibet was a physical one—a 6,000-mile move across the Atlantic. By relocating to California, the couple created a new model for raising royal children based on personal control rather than public obligation. This carefully constructed life is a blend of high-level security and calculated moments of normalcy.

Escaping the Royal Fishbowl

The move to Montecito was a deliberate choice for a simpler lifestyle far from the rigid structures and expectations of the British monarchy. According to their neighbor, journalist Richard Mineards, their life is controlled but also allows for moments of quiet freedom (New York Post, 2025). Mineards has described seeing Harry on solo bike rides and the couple strolling the shoreline, suggesting a carefully managed existence prioritizing peace over pageantry. This starkly contrasts life within the Royal Family, where every outing is a potential photo opportunity. However, security remains their top priority; Prince Harry’s ongoing legal battle over security arrangements with the UK government underscores his position that bringing his children to his home country is entirely dependent on their safety being guaranteed.

The Art of the Controlled Reveal

Instead of battling the press, the Sussexes have chosen to bypass it. They famously rejected the traditional royal rota system, where a pool of UK media outlets has guaranteed access to royal events. In its place, they’ve implemented a strategy of releasing photos and information strictly on their own terms. Whether it’s an official portrait for a birthday, a family holiday card, or an announcement on their Archewell website, they control the image, the timing, and the narrative. The recent online debate over Archie and Lilibet’s hair, sparked by photos in a Disneyland special, perfectly illustrates why this approach is so necessary for them (People, 2025). When even the smallest detail can cause a global media frenzy, controlling the source of information is their most powerful defensive tool.

Waging a Legal War on the Press

Beyond their physical fortress in California, Prince Harry and Meghan have erected a legal one. Their aggressive strategy against media intrusion is a core pillar of their children’s protection plan, signaling a dramatic break from royal tradition and a willingness to fight back in court.

‘Never Complain, Never Explain’ Is Over

The old royal mantra of stoic silence in the face of negative press is officially dead. Prince Harry is engaged in multiple, high-profile lawsuits against tabloid publishers like Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail. The allegations are severe, including claims of phone-hacking, hiring private investigators, and other unlawful information-gathering techniques. In a move that demonstrates his unwavering commitment to this cause, Harry has even implicated his own family in court documents, alleging that Prince William and Princess Catherine were also victims of illegal spying (People, 2025). Harry sends a clear message by taking on the powerful British press: the harassment stops here.

A Battle for Future Generations

These legal battles are not just about settling personal grievances. For the Sussexes, they represent an attempt to set a new precedent for how the press treats public figures and, most importantly, their children. They fundamentally challenge the unspoken contract between the monarchy and the media, arguing that privacy should not be the price of public service. Their approach marks a radical departure from the status quo, as seen in this comparison.

TacticThe Traditional Royal ApproachThe Sussex Strategy
Media EngagementCooperative relationship with the Royal Rota for guaranteed access.Limited, direct engagement; releasing content via their own channels.
Responding to IntrusionHistorically, never complain, never explain. Ignore negative stories.Aggressive legal action; suing publishers for privacy violations.
Children’s First PhotosOfficial, staged photo calls on the hospital steps or at christenings.Private photos released on their own time, often for charitable causes.
Primary GoalMaintain a positive public image and uphold tradition.Enforce personal privacy and protect family from media harassment.

Navigating the Digital World: A Blueprint for All Parents

While the Sussexes’ privacy battle plays out on a global stage, the core challenges they face—protecting children from unwanted exposure and online dangers—are universal. Their high-profile fight offers a blueprint for all parents trying to create a safe digital environment for their families.

The Royal Family’s Modern Concerns

The concern over online dangers is a shared, cross-Atlantic issue for the Royal Family. Both King Charles and Prince William have spoken about the negative effects of social media, from the spread of misinformation to increased bullying. In fact, Harry and Meghan have also launched initiatives to protect children online, showing a united front on this modern-day challenge. The urgency is underscored by alarming data: online safety is the top concern for 55% of parents, even more than mental or physical health (ECPAT, 2024). With kids aged 8-18 spending an average of 7.5 hours daily on screens for entertainment, and with 26.5% of U.S. teens reporting being cyberbullied in 2023, the need for proactive protection has never been greater (CDC, n.d.; Bright Path, 2025)

A Parent’s Playbook for Digital Protection

Just like the royals, you can take concrete steps to navigate these challenges. Protecting your children online requires a combination of open dialogue and smart technical safeguards. Here are some best practices every parent can adopt to create a safer digital space for their family.

  • Open Communication: Create a space for children to discuss their good and bad online experiences.
  • Set Digital Boundaries: Establish clear rules for screen time, app usage, and appropriate content.
  • Utilize Parental Controls: Use the built-in features on devices and apps to filter content and manage privacy settings.
  • Teach Digital Literacy: Educate children about online risks, such as phishing, sharing personal information, and the permanence of their digital footprint.
  • Secure Your Network: Implement tools that protect your family’s data from outside threats, especially on public networks.

Taking Control with Digital Tools

While open communication is key, parents also need powerful tools to safeguard their family’s digital life. With concerns about internet safety for kids at an all-time high, services like a VPN (Virtual Private Network) offer a crucial layer of technical protection. A VPN establishes a private, encrypted tunnel for all your internet activity, shielding it from hackers, trackers, and other prying eyes.

IPVanish is designed to make this protection simple for families. When your child is on public Wi-Fi at a café or library, IPVanish encrypts their connection so cybercriminals on the same network can’t steal personal data. It also hides your IP address, preventing websites and advertisers from tracking your family’s location and online habits. This is essential for protecting sensitive information and reducing your children’s exposure to invasive targeted marketing.

Beyond browsing, IPVanish secures everything from video calls for virtual school to online gaming sessions, ensuring private conversations remain private. The ability to protect every device in your home on a single account provides a comprehensive solution for parents looking to create a safer online environment for their children.

The Sussex Legacy: A New Definition of a Royal Childhood

The Sussexes’ strategy to protect their children combines physical relocation, aggressive legal action, and meticulous media management. They have established a firm boundary, demanding a level of privacy unheard of for members of the Royal Family. This has created a new definition of a royal childhood, one shielded from the public gaze and free from the obligations that defined past generations of celebrity children.

The central question remains: Can Archie and Lilibet truly have a normal life? The ongoing debate about their upbringing, including reports that Harry is considering UK schooling, shows their path is still being forged (Daily Express, 2025). However, it is undeniable that their parents’ efforts represent a radical attempt to give them something no modern royal has had before: a choice. Ultimately, the Sussex legacy may not be defined by titles or tradition, but by the new, private boundaries they are fighting so fiercely to draw for their family.

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bitchy | Did Prince Harry already register Archie to eventually attend Eton? No.
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bitchy | Did Prince Harry already register Archie to eventually attend Eton? No.

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Following Prince Harry and King Charles’s meeting at Clarence House two weeks ago, one story has been consuming the British press: “Harry wants to send his kids to English boarding schools!” Richard Eden at the Daily Mail has written multiple stories about this very odd rumor, and now Tom Sykes is getting into it on his Royalist Substack. When the initial story came out, one of the commenters made a brilliant deduction: that the rumors were started by Kensington Palace as a way to convince the Princess of Wales to send Prince George to Eton. Like, Kate is such a copy-keener, so if she heard that Meghan and Harry plan on sending Archie to Eton, Kate will finally agree to it. Anyway, Tom Sykes’s big exclusive is that Harry has already registered Archie for Eton.

Friends of Prince Harry have told The Royalist that Harry has put his son Archie, 6, down for Eton College. This could mean that the children of Prince Harry and Prince William will attend the elite all-boys’ Windsor boarding school at the same time. There are five years between Archie and George, but less than two years between Louis and Archie.

The background to all this is Harry’s visit to the U.K. last week, during which he met his father and, according to a report in the Mail, shared with the king his plans to educate his kids in the U.K. Then the British singer Joss Stone, who recently moved back to the U.K. after time abroad, told Hello! magazine about a chat she had with Harry at London’s WellChild Awards last week.

The singer, 38, said: “He asked about how we were settling back in and was genuinely interested in our move home. He’s just very warm and down to earth, as always. Maybe Harry will move back, too. That would be nice. He was saying how wonderful the schools are here, and how important community is for children. It was nice to share that with him because it’s exactly why we felt drawn to come back—for the kids to grow up surrounded by family, friends, and a strong sense of belonging, and most importantly in a safe environment.”

Now, an old school friend of both Harry and William exclusively tells me, “It’s no longer strictly necessary to put your kids’ names down at birth, but Harry has put Archie down. It’s fair to say he had mixed feelings about the school when he left, but looking back on it, he can appreciate the good.”

Another old schoolfriend told The Royalist: “For William and Harry, Eton is really the only sensible choice when it comes to British schools, because of security. There are so many high-profile and politically exposed kids there that the whole school has ridiculous security provisions already. It’s seven-day boarding, lots of kids fly back and forth at the beginning and end of term, so why shouldn’t Archie? The school certainly wouldn’t be prejudiced against him. Statistically, you have to imagine Eton would be a hell of a lot safer than an American school thanks to their gun laws.”

Harry’s people dismissed the story. I have approached Eton College for comment, but I assume I won’t be hearing from them.

[From The Royalist Substack]

Buried the lede: “Harry’s people dismissed the story.” Now, I think it’s perfectly possible that in 2019, when Archie was born, this was the general education plan, to eventually send him to Eton. But plans change and it’s not 2019 anymore. Still, I’m so curious about all of this bizarre focus on Archie’s education, and to a lesser extent, Lili’s education. Even if you think there might be some whiff of truth to this “Archie will go to Eton” story, why now when the child is only six years old? Why now when Archie has been living in America for over five years? Is this all projection because Kate absolutely refuses to send her kids to boarding school?

After Sykes published all of this, he added this note: “Harry’s team initially brushed off the query in vague terms. However, after publication of this story, a spokesperson for the Duke said: ‘Prince Harry has not put his son’s name down for Eton, nor does he have any plans to do so.’” Dollars to donuts, this whole storyline came from Kensington Palace, right?

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

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bitchy | ‘Royal sources’ insist that King Charles might see Archie & Lili next year
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bitchy | ‘Royal sources’ insist that King Charles might see Archie & Lili next year

by jummy84
written by jummy84

There’s something so mindnumbingly stupid about the British press breathlessly quoting unnamed “royal sources” and “palace insiders,” all of whom have been armed with the exact same talking point this week: Prince Harry should keep silent about his meeting with his father, no briefings or interviews or leaks! It’s not that Charles and his team are worried about Harry’s words, it’s that THEY want to be the ones creating the narrative of the meeting and what it all means. Of course, they also want to silence Harry by any means necessary, but again, they want to brief against him 24-7, screaming about how HARRY is the one who can’t be trusted. That’s the whole thrust of Richard Eden’s latest column in the Daily Mail, which I’m not even going to excerpt. It’s just stupid, and I hate that these morons never acknowledge that their royal sources are doing exactly what they’re accusing Harry of. Speaking of, the Mail also ran this:

Prince Harry promised his father that he could be trusted to stay quiet about their private discussions before they met for the first time in more than 18 months, it can be revealed today. The Duke of Sussex spent 54 minutes having a cup of tea with King Charles at Clarence House in London on Wednesday.

A royal source has said that Harry is determined to ‘reset’ his relationship with his family, and the British people, after years of turmoil caused by Megxit – starting first with his father.

‘This is an important first step towards rebuilding their father-and-son relationship’, a royal insider told the Daily Mail today. ‘He has told his father he won’t be giving any interviews about it and his team have been instructed not to brief journalists about what was said. There’s a long way to go before Harry can earn his family’s trust but he’s given some assurances’.

Prince William did not attend Wednesday’s Clarence House meeting but will have been aware it was going to take place, it is understood. The Prince and Princess of Wales have been out at royal events all week – and on one occasion were only three miles away from Harry but chose not to meet. ‘William would have known that this was going to happen. It’s not clear how happy he is about it but, you know, sooner or later most families reach some sort of accommodation after a family rift’, the Mail’s source said.

[From The Daily Mail]

Re: Harry’s silence… what’s even funnier about this situation is that everything shifted after Harry went public in May. Harry had been silent about his father for months, but he spoke at length to the BBC in May after he lost his security case. That is what changed everything and that’s why Charles finally agreed to meet him. Harry better not talk, and if he does, we’ll organize another meeting as punishment!! Additionally, wouldn’t you know, another royal source told the Mail that a Sussex family visit could be in the cards for next year.

Prince Harry’s reconciliation meeting with his father is the first step towards his family returning to the UK for a visit next year, a royal source claimed today. The summit over tea at Clarence House last night could pave the way for Archie and Lilibet to visit their grandfather for the first time in more than three years.

‘The King wants to be a grandfather to his grandchildren so that’s an important pull. He was so pleased when they came over for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee and he was able to spend some time with them,’ a royal source told the Daily Mail today. ‘It’s become clear that Harry now regrets some of his actions. He wants to reset his relationship with his family and with the people of the UK. It’s hard to see him ever coming back to live in Britain but this may be the start of something that at least allows them to be a functioning wider family again.’

But whether Meghan Markle will want to come with them remains another matter, the insider has said. Meghan hasn’t returned to the UK since the Queen’s death in September 2022.

Harry’s taxpayer-funded security was reduced after he and Meghan quit royal duties – sparking his legal battle with the Home Office – but the Sussexes would likely receive armed bodyguards when visiting the King. ‘There are all sorts of obstacles to that happening again because of Harry’s insistence that they have guaranteed armed police protection. But maybe there is a way of getting them over to Balmoral or Sandringham next year or another royal residence where they are within the security perimeter’, the insider said.

[From The Daily Mail]

The idea of Harry bringing his kids over but not his wife is a no-go. I suspect it will be rejected out of hand by Harry as well – if Charles wants to see Archie and Lili (a big “if” in my opinion), he needs to extend a full-throated invitation to Meghan as well AND guarantee security. Or else this is just another nasty maneuver to separate the Sussexes.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Netflix.

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bitchy | Duchess Meghan posted WLM’s behind-the-scenes photos of Archie & Lili
Celebrity News

bitchy | Duchess Meghan posted WLM’s behind-the-scenes photos of Archie & Lili

by jummy84
written by jummy84

On Labor Day, the Duchess of Sussex posted a carousel of behind-the-scenes photos from With Love, Meghan. The photos were so cute, and she included pics of Archie and Lili on the “set.” She also included a pic of Jose Andres, and a pic with herself, Prince Harry and Clare Smyth. Smyth was their wedding reception caterer, and Smyth flew into California just to appear on WLM. Smyth is a real one, especially considering how much hate the British press churns up about everyone connected to the Sussexes. I still think it’s hilarious that Jose appeared on WLM – Prince William’s briefings about “stealing” Jose to “humiliate” the Sussexes look pretty unhinged in retrospect.

As for Lili and Archie… it’s so cute that they were on the set with their mom. I love the pic of Daniel Martin peeking in, and Lili turning to look at the man she calls Uncle Daniel. Archie got to snap the clapperboard! As you can imagine, royalists are having a normal one about these photos. LMAO. No, they’re screaming “how dare Meghan USE her children to promote her FLOP show?!?!” The show is not a flop – it reached Netflix’s top-ten in the United States over the holiday weekend, and I’m sure it will make the top-ten in other countries too. As for Meghan posting her kids… despite what Tom Sykes rages about in his Royalist Substack, Meghan continues to just post the back of her kids’ fully ginger heads. I still don’t know what Archie and Lili really look like, and that’s how it should be. Personally, I think the royalists are just furious that Archie and Lili look SO MUCH like Princess Diana’s side of the family. These kids seem like pure Spencers, and Lili is Diana’s only blue-eyed grandchild.

Photos courtesy of Meghan’s IG.
[gallery

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Archie Madekwe Shines in Tale of Obsession
TV & Streaming

Archie Madekwe Shines in Tale of Obsession

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Editor’s Note: This review was originally published during the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. “Lurker” opens from MUBI in select theaters August 22.

A transfixing morality tale cleverly turned on its head, “Lurker” opens with an overture: its protagonist, Matthew (Théodore Pellerin), goofing around for a camcorder wielded by a friend. When the person holding the camera jokingly asks Matthew where he sees himself in five years, Matthew replies sincerely. “I already have everything I want,” he says, stealing a glance into the lens.

Rewind to the before times, when Matthew is living with his grandma and working as a retail employee at a hip clothing store in Los Angeles. In walks Oliver (Archie Madekwe), a pop music artist famous enough to cause a murmur among the store patrons. Matthew, abuzz with anticipation, pops on a track that impresses the VIP, and the next thing he knows he’s being folded into the small, sycophantic entourage of not-quite friends and not-quite collaborators fortunate enough to accompany Oliver on his excursions.

'Good Boy'
'Eden'

So begins a parable of obsession and loneliness related with such immediacy that even its relatively low stakes start to feel like life or death. In his debut feature, the writer/director Alex Russell (who has written for the series “Dave” and “The Bear”) viscerally captures the complex dynamics of hierarchical friendships, in which a fear of alienation and craving for belonging can drive people to the brink. The movie’s greatest feat is its attention to the nuances of how these men use mocking or scorn to ascend a rung on their narrow social ladder — and if “Lurker” eventually succumbs to certain genre tropes and a handful of story bumps, it makes up for its limitations in perspicacity and the overall strength of its filmmaking.

After Matthew catches Oliver’s attention in the store, he ingratiates himself quickly. Soon, he’s making himself useful around the star’s Los Angeles pad, performing chores and sucking up to his circle of buddies. At this point, Matthew is still at the bottom of the pecking order, an appendage and acolyte who understands the delicacy of his station. We witness his wild desperation to maintain his status in scenes at home, where he screams at his grandma not to interrupt him while he’s on the phone and replays Oliver’s videos to study his taste and habits. There’s a derivative feeling to these latter moments; we’ve seen portraits of blind obsession before, and at this point in the movie, you may wonder where Russell will take the relatively familiar tale.

Lurker
‘Lurker’Courtesy the filmmakers

These social hierarchies shift in a strong scene set in a pasture. Oliver’s crew has gathered to make a music video, but soon into the shoot, the group’s videographer Noah (the talented up-and-comer Daniel Zolghadri), realizes that he’s misplaced his camera batteries. Sensing an opportunity, Oliver whips out his grandma’s old camcorder and suggests that he attach it to a sheep’s head for a point-of-view shot. It’s a middling idea at best, and the composition is entirely off. But that’s no matter to Oliver, who takes to the idea and whose approval is the only one that matters. Darkly funny and effective, the scene proves a point that Matthew seems to intuit: any power structure is flexible if you’re willing to challenge its shibboleths.

Throughout, Russell and the cinematographer Pat Scola (“Pig,” “Sing Sing”) demonstrate a keen understanding of where to position the camera to best calibrate perspective and emotion. One memorable example occurs after Matthew has ascended to the position of Oliver’s righthand man, and has even invited his own pal, Jamie (Sunny Suljic of “Mid90s”), to a music industry party. A relative innocent, Jamie ends up winning over Oliver’s entourage, much to Matthew’s chagrin. As Oliver and his friends fawn (rather ridiculously) over Jamie’s ugly handmade sweater, Scola trains his camera on Matthew’s face, capturing shades of envy, quiet rage and panic. These aesthetic flourishes find an auditory corollary in Kenneth Blume’s swelling, spectral score, which toggles between sinister and ecstatic.

Oliver — a Gen-Z-cusp singer-songwriter a la Dominic Fike — begins the story as a rather straightforward character. He enjoys the influence he exercises over those around him, which explains his tendency to hand-pick fans and convert them into lackeys. Yet as the story unfolds, Russell shows how Oliver’s fame is an alienating experience. Through small looks and line deliveries, Madekwe shines as he imbues Oliver with the genuine vulnerability of a young man who tends to doubt himself and his work, and who distracts himself from unease through incessant pleasure-seeking.

Pellerin, perhaps best known for his memorable turn in “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” is a worthy match for Madekwe. He is a gifted physical performer, with his gawky frame and large, fidgety hands useful tools as he shifts from anxiety to anger and back again. Matthew and Oliver’s alignment as characters is thrown into sharp relief once the film reaches a rather far-fetched turning point. The events — which the film all but skips through, lest the viewer start to question its plausibility — turn the tables such that Oliver becomes beholden to Matthew’s whims, rather than vice versa. In an on-the-nose flourish, Russell scores this about-face with the James & Bobby Purify song “I’m Your Puppet.” Later, the filmmaker takes the literalization trend even further when Oliver and Matthew’s jockeying for dominance is made visual in a homoerotic wrestling match.

These later scenes of power struggle suffer from some unevenness compared to their earlier counterparts, which capture the subtleties of social maneuvering better than most. Still, when the third act finally arrives, Russell deserves credit for making the audacious decision to deny his characters their comeuppance and instead end the film on a cynical note. “Lurker” is a movie about lonely young men who know that, at the top of their social ladders, more emptiness awaits them. Yet they keep climbing them all the same.

Grade: B+

“Lurker” premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. MUBI releases the film August 22.

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