Simon Killer

It takes a long time before anyone uses the word “pathetic” to describe Simon Killer's titular psychopath, but for the most part, that description is perfect for Simon (Brady Corbet)—at least until he proves to be much worse in this largely unmoving contemporary noir from director Antonio Campos. A young American drifting through Paris after a wrenching breakup, Simon is introduced while sitting in an unidentified white room, telling someone we cannot see intimate details about the end of his recent relationship. Although it seems likely that Simon is speaking to a therapist in a clinic, as the camera slowly pulls back and the dialogue switches gears, it becomes obvious that Simon's confidante is essentially a stranger. This moment marks the first indication that Simon—a paranoid and desperate mama's boy with a core of rage—always expects to find a sympathetic ally to take care of him, an emotional strategy that takes a dark turn when Simon insinuates himself into the life of a prostitute named Victoria (Mati Diop). Looking like a sniffling lost puppy, Simon becomes the damaged Victoria's live-in lover and partner in an ill-advised scheme to blackmail clients. And then he's off pursuing a “good” girl (Lila Salet), and ultimately turning all of Paris into a setting for his (eventually violent) psychodramas surrounding women and intimacy. A chilly film with a quirky visual approach that many will find off-putting, this is an optional purchase. (T. Keogh)