When a film puts the word 'killer' in the title you'd expect someone to die. This is only one of the many reasons I did not like Antonio Campos' Simon Killer.
The film tells the story of a recent college grad, played beautiful by Brady Corbet of Martha Marcy May Marlene, who opts to travel to Paris after his girlfriend of five years breaks off their courtship. Unable to shake his loss he quickly falls in love with a prostitute. Simon works out a plan to turn her devilish ways into something darker, ultimately shining a small light on his own secretive past.
The visual appeal for the film is beautiful. Other than a solid performance by Corbet, the cinematography is about all the film has going for it. Otherwise it falls hard and often as countless roadblocks interfere with its pace and create a film that you simply can't wait to escape.
The story itself is mundane, lacks originality, and never really goes anywhere. Sure there is a conclusion, but there still didn't appear to be any resolution. I never felt for Brady like I should have, and his relationship appeared as a hoax from the onset, leaving little room to question just how the story would end.
But nothing tops the fact that this was nowhere near a murder mystery or psychological thriller. The title would lead you to believe otherwise, and in doing so sets itself up for failure.
