Known for exploring dark characters and subject matters in the films he has directed and produced, NYU alumnus and director Antonio Campos (“Martha Marcy May Marlene”) continues to expose the deceptive side of human nature in his new film “Simon Killer.”
“Simon” follows the titular character, a recent American college graduate (played by Brady Corbet) who travels to Paris after an emotional breakup with his girlfriend in hopes of distracting himself. Soon enough, Simon meets a beautiful and exotic prostitute, Victoria (Mati Diop), and falls hopelessly in love. At this point, the film is seemingly taking a “finding-yourself-in-a-foreign-country” approach, but there is something about Simon that the audience knows isn’t quite right, and as the movie progresses, his dark nature slowly unravels.
Because Campos introduces Simon’s character as vulnerable and somewhat of a victim, the audience gets to experience a different kind of slasher film. The villains of most slasher films tend to be undeniably terrifying and evil. There are plenty of instances in the first half of “Simon,” however, where Simon comes across as a very decent — and sometimes even harmless — average man.
Discovering Simon’s character from this angle allows the audience to sympathize with him, but ultimately makes it difficult to abandon him even when they realize he is a sociopath. Making an audience root for the bad guy is no small feat, and Campos’ ability to do this in his film reveals the extent of his directorial talent.
Unlike most slasher films, “Simon” isn’t meant to be solely a work of pure diversion and mindless entertainment. This film is a character study that requires the audience to actively think about Campos’ directorial choices, especially when concerning Simon’s erratic behavior. There isn’t a big intense buildup in the story — rather, the film is a journey that tries to reflect the rhythms of real life.
Besides focusing on Simon’s dynamic personality, the film does a wonderful job exploring the complex relationship between a psychopath and a prostitute, an unlikely combination for true love. After establishing a relationship with him, Victoria confesses to Simon a horrific tragedy concerning her past with her ex-husband. Simon, who lacks fluency in French, completely misinterprets her story, and he continues to misinterpret everything Victoria wants throughout the film.
The language barrier between Simon and Victoria is an implicit theme in the film that eventually reveals Simon’s blindness toward the people he interacts with in general. Even when Simon seems genuinely interested in getting to know people, he is incapable of truly understanding them. “Simon Killer” asks whether people can ever really have fulfilling relationships with one another if, instead of listening, they only hear what they want to hear.
Alex Mujica is a contributing writer. Email her at [email protected].
