MovieChat Forums > Simon Killer (2013) Discussion > Pointless and pretty dull. (spoilers)

Pointless and pretty dull. (spoilers)


So we eventually find out Simon is sociopathic and prone to violence (against women at least, he backs away from physical confrontations with men).

Does it really need 105 minutes to tell us that? I was happy to sit through the deliberate build-up hoping for a decent pay-off but we get nothing satisfying in the end. OK, we know there's more to him but, for most of the running time, Simon acts relatively normally (apart from his furious wanking!), and then we see his gradual descent into something not very interesting at all.

Tremendously disappointing. I wasn't surprised to find out there's some connection with Martha...etc, as that evaporated into nothing as well.

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To be able to enjoy this film you have to be a bit interested/knowledgeable about sociopaths and how their manipulative mind works. It is not just being violent, it is the way they interact with other people, their lack of ability to connect/emphasize with other human beings. I found this film very intriguing, mainly because of the subject matter. I think that was the most realistic portrayal of a sociopath in the film I have ever seen.

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[deleted]

Didn't seem like a sociopath, just a dumb kid who wasn't as smart or clever as he thought he was

Well there you go.. you missed the whole essence of the movie. If all you saw was a dumb kid who tried to be clever then go read some more about sociopaths and watch it again

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[deleted]

What you described here is a perfect characterisation of how a sociopath tends to live their lives thereby proving my point about how him being a sociopath is the central theme of the film. I agree, he is an extremely toxic and destructive character, which again is the result of him being a sociopath.

His sociopathy is not some extra dimension to his character, it embodies his whole character and everything that he does.

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[deleted]

There is a difference between what the "story is about" and the "main point of the story". I am not sure if there is an actual point that the movie is trying to make. I do think, however, that this movie is just a story about one character and we are required to patiently sit back and observe as the story unfolds. There is no point to it.
When you are saying that this story is about some loser who drifts from situation to situation and who destroys and poisons everything around him in the process, you are describing a sociopath. If he was not a sociopath he would not be doing all these things, he would be just like everyone else. Thus his sociopathic nature is the main engine behind his actions and choices. Thus it is central to the storyline. I am not arguing that the movie is making some kind educational point about sociopaths. The movie does not even explicitly state that he is a sociopath; we have to arrive at this conclusion independently.
In a nutshell, his sociopathy is not the main point of the movie, because I believe there is no point. The movie is about a character and his actions, which are predominantly shaped by his sociopathic condition; therefore this condition has to be recognised as a central theme.
When you are saying that there are some successful sociopaths out there you are talking about psychopaths. Even if there were successful sociopaths out there that does not negate my point.

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[deleted]

There is a point to the movie. It doesn't try to send a message, but it has a point and a purpose. The purpose was to show us events that unfolded surrounding some lost soul wandering around the place being endlessly lost.

You're right that one of the themes of the movie is his sociopathy. But there are many themes to every movie. Another theme is about the life of a lost soul drifter pathetically trying to grasp onto anything he can find, looking for real connections, only to fail miserably and then moving on to something else again. Yet another theme of this movie is about adventure in a foreign country.


I have never claimed that other themes do not exist in this film. You can also claim that this movie is about a guy who tries to improve his French. But these are all secondary and arguably irrelevant. His character/motives/decisions/actions are all that matter in this film. I am making a very simple claim that his sociopathy is responsible for what he does and why ends up in these situations. It can be argued that this film is just a character exploration. With this in mind, you cannot say that him being a sociopath is secondary.

Also, I have not been convinced by your assumption that the purpose of this film is to show the story of some lost soul drifting around. Recognising the storyline is not the same as recognising the purpose. Not all films have an actual purpose or point to them. Sometimes they are just stories without any message or moral. When are saying that the purpose of this film is to show this or that, you are talking about a kind of functional purpose rather than the very purpose of the story. We may disagree on the definition here.

I don't think you understand the difference between a sociopath and a psychopath. Running around and inadvertently causing havoc to himself and onto others, are not traits of a sociopath in and of itself. A person can be self-destructive without being a sociopath.


I do consider myself fairly educated on the subject of sociopaths and psychopaths and I would be interested to hear where and how you came to a conclusion that I do not understand the difference between the two? Also, I am not sure why you are telling that a person can be destructive without being a sociopath? What made you think that I had a different opinion? All my assumptions regarding his actions are based on this character alone; I am not making generalised statements about other people and their motives.

I never rejected the idea he was a sociopath, and in fact stated so myself from the beginning. I get your point. You're making a case that he was a sociopath. I think most people agree already. But beyond that I don't know what you're arguing about.


I am aware that you are in agreement with me on his sociopathy. However, it seems that you are disagreeing with my presumpation that his sociopathy is central to his character and thus to this film. In fact, I get the impression that you think it is rather irrelevant.

Your last paragraph is a contradiction. You make a direct declarative assertion, the you declare a backtracking statement to cover your bases. Sociopaths can succeed just as psychopaths can. Psychopathy is not a recipe for success, though there are successful psychopaths in the work place, or among career criminals.


My statement alluded to your statement about successful sociopaths in your previous reply. Yes I agree that I made a generalised statement about psychopaths being more likely to succeed as opposed to sociopaths. I was just speaking in general terms based on my research and understanding of differences between these concepts. I have never claimed that sociopaths cannot be successful. It is just that they are less likely to do so considering their impulsive and erratic tendencies.

As for psychopathy being the recipe for success, again I never made such claim. I was inexplicitly comparing these concepts and my research tells me that psychopaths tend to be more successful in all areas/aspects of life compared to sociopaths.

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