SIMON KILLER

When we first see Simon who has just graduated from College, he’s camping out at a acquaintance’s apartment in Paris and talking out-loud to himself about Michelle his ex-lover back home in New York who caused his current misery when she broke up with him.  He’s lonely and somewhat bitter, and in a city where he knows no-one, and with only a smattering of bad french at his command and so he spends many a night staying home and attempting to masturbate.   He doesn’t even do that very well either.

On a rare night out in the city he tries to pick up Sophie a young student but all he ends up with is her phone number, and so consequently takes himself off to a sex club. There he meets Victoria a prostitute who thinks that this young man could be a step up from her usual clients, and so she also gives Simon her phone number. They start to meet up regularly and Simon tricks her into letting him moving into her apartment and she starts giving him money too. Once he gets what he wants then he starts behaving badly ….. encouraging Victoria to blackmail her clients …. whilst at the same time he is off having dates/sex with good girl Sophie.

Simon is such a despicable and completely unlikable protagonist, its a real mystery that any woman ever falls for him, but when he fails to hide his true nature, they all want out and quickly. This rather desperate self-centred selfish young man then really shows his demented psycho side which is hinted at in the title of the piece. When he starts to go off the rails, the plot lines do too, but however it does rally at the end with a very strong finish. 

Rather brilliantly played by Brady Corbet (who also co-wrote it). Mr Corbet is no stranger to somewhat creepy guy roles as his resume includes ‘Mysterious Skin’, ‘Melancholia’ and ‘Martha Marcy May Marlene’. The latter movie having been produced by Antonio Campos  who co-wrote and directed this one.

Uncomfortable to watch.   Available now on DVD.

★★★★★★