Going Deep Into the Mind of 'Simon Killer' With Antonio Campos and Brady Corbet
It's been over four years since Antonio Campos's debut feature, the daring drama Afterschool, hit cinemas, unnerved audiences, and established Campos as one of the strong new voices leading contemporary independent cinema. As one third of Borderline Films—alongside Sean Durkin and Josh Mond—Campos produced Durkin's Martha Macy May Marelene, just as Durkin had his hand in producing Campos's latest feature, the brooding and visceral Simon Killer. The film tells the story of a lonely, heartbroken, dangerous, and horny college grad who heads to Paris, where he becomes involved with a prostitute (played wonderfully by Mati Diop), Simon Killer is an entrancing waltz with destructive impulse led by star Brady Corbet. As interesting as he is talented, the 24-year-old gives a haunting performance, playing Simon with utmost complexity—vacillating between evil boldness and desperate vulnerability.