Simon Killer (2012)

Directed by: Antonio Campos
Country: USA / France

Movie Review: Antonio Campos’ new film “Simon Killer” is a compelling character study, presented with an indie style, well matching soundtrack, and counting with convincing performances by Brady Corbet and Mati Diop. Since its first minutes, we realize that Simon (Corbet) is an unusual character, when he explains to his cousin he is in Paris to rest and try to recover from the shock of having been abandoned by his girlfriend. Seeming a bit disoriented and with nothing to do, he aimlessly walks through the streets of Paris searching for new experiences or fortuitous encounters. One night he enters a nightclub and gets to know Victoria (Diop), a prostitute who gave him her personal cellphone. Eventually they became lovers and confidents, and progressively we start to understand more about Simon’s personality and his true nature. Revealing a mundane side that lies between “Shame” and “American Psycho”, “Simon Killer” shows Parisian nightlife, carnal pleasures, and obscurities of the soul, from a perspective that challenges the viewer. Despite the usual cleanness in its presentation, almost every image was set in dark hues, in opposition to Campos’ previous film, “Afterschool”, which used a much brighter light to depict a story about juvenile delinquency. I could sense a beneficial experimentalism in direction, which coupled to the unpredictability of Simon’s moves, kept me interested in the darkness of this wandering soul.