Simon Killer
Starring: Brady Corbet, Mati Diop, Michael Abiteboul
Director: Antonio Campos
Rating: 4/5
Antonio Campos has already made a name for himself as a director and a producer and now he is back behind the camera for the first time since Afterschool.
Simon Killer has already been whipping up a bit of a storm on the festival circuit and this week it hits the big screen.
A recent college graduate goes to Paris after breaking up with his girlfriend of five years.
His life should be open-ended and full of promise, but he can’t shake his feelings of loss. Being a stranger in a strange land only aggravates his situation.
When he falls in love with a young mysterious prostitute, a fateful journey begins. Though we soon learn that Simon is the one with deeper secrets.
First and foremost Brady Corbet is terrific in the central character of Simon - a character that you never really trust.
Simon is a young man with a very dark streak and while he has a list for women his has no respect for them, something which comes through more and more as the film progresses.
He is a manipulator and a liar and a man that hides a very dark side to himself and Corbet is riveting in this role.
You can understand while there is a lot of excitement surrounding this young actor and if he keeps on churning performances like this out he has a very bright future.
There is an unsettling feel from start to finish as director Campos delivers an interesting and dark character study.
With every frame Campos builds up the tension and the sense of menace before it explodes in the final scenes and Simon's true colours are revealed.
There is a real art house feel to the way that Campos has shot the movie and there is a beauty to it - despite the danger and menace that there is in the story.
Simon Killer is not the kind of movie that you would watch on a regular basis but you have to admire what Campos has achieved with the story and the way that he has shot the film.
It is brutal and it is raw and, at times, it is quite difficult to watch. Campos has showed that he is an unflinching filmmaker who has cast some very brave and talented actors.
Simon Killer is out now