Director: Antonio Campos.
Starring: Brady Corbet, Mati Diop, Constance Rousseau, Lila Salet, Michael Abiteboul, Solo.
Running time: 101 minutes.
Certificate: 18.
Synopsis: Simon (Brady Corbet) escapes to Paris after a bad breakup, only to fall into another altogether different relationship with a prostitute. Hatching a plan to blackmail her clients, Simon starts to lose control as the pair become increasingly distant.
You may not know his name, but you may recognise Antonio Campos’ work. His Independent Spirit Award-winning feature debut, AFTERSCHOOL, launched him onto Variety’s ‘Ten Directors To Watch’ list, and he has since produced the much celebrated MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE. After meeting Brady Corbet on Sean Durkin’s 2011 film, the two started work on the rather awkward and uncomfortable SIMON KILLER.
After several post-breakup days of meaningless strolling through the streets of Paris, young graduate Simon is tempted by a sex bar where he meets pretty prostitute, Victoria (Mati Diop). After exchanging numbers, the two embark on a relationship lacking in conventional love, while Simon faces the fact his new girlfriend sleeps with other men for money.
Described as a deeply disturbing character study, this up-close-and-personal narrative doesn’t let go from the minute you are thrown into Simon’s life and continuing obsession over his ex-girlfriend. Slowly transferring his creepy, voyeuristic fetish onto Victoria, Simon starts to take a dangerous control over their relationship, even though she initiated their first encounter.
With Corbet the constant focus within the claustrophobic screen space, we are always very aware of his emotional instability, if not at times shown a little too much, with several sex scenes making viewing rather uncomfortable. But with Campos’ use of angles, sound effects and editing giving the feeling that we are flies on Simon’s dirty walls, what we see is so honestly portrayed that it’s hard to look away.
SIMON KILLER is a hard film to like, with the insecure and volatile Simon’s treatment of Victoria never letting us fully sympathise with him. However, with a very talented cast, Campos pulls off something that other directors strive for – the ability to make his audience legitimately ill at ease.
SIMON KILLER is released in UK cinemas today.
