Simon’s Quest is to find love in a world where people of his kind are ridiculed and deemed unacceptable. What are people of Simon’s (Johnny Pozzi) kind? Monsters. Simon is a werewolf, and he struggles with living a normal life (dating, making friends, etc.). With the help of a camera crew Simon will do what he can to make his life as normal as possible. However, the world will fight back, as werewolves and other monsters don’t have the same rights as everyone else. Can Simon overcome being ostracized or will his life continue on a downward spiral? With much of the world against him, his journey as a gay werewolf is unlike anything you’ve seen before.
The acceptance of the LGBTQ community has come a long way in my lifetime. I’m not sure that I ever saw this group be ridiculed to the fullest extent, but I’m well aware of the fact that this group of individuals had a rough go of it for a while. The world isn’t perfect, and there are still individuals that question the validity of a homosexual relationship, but things have certainly gotten better. Simon’s Quest revists the more difficult days for the LGBTQ community, but with a twist. Satire doesn’t always have to be laugh-out-loud funny, and Simon’s Quest isn’t, but it’s odd, with subtle bits of humor thrown into the narrative.
Satire is the perfect way to describe Simon’s Quest as the subtle comedy begs for change; viewers are invited into a world that they may not be entirely familiar with, but they soon understand the life in which Simon leads. Simon’s Quest is well written and it’s clear, even through the subtleties, all that the cast and crew want the world to know. The film, regardless of the fact that it’s labeled a comedy, is emotionally drawing and relevant, and that all comes down to how well each of the actors are able to convey emotion. Pozzi, Talley Gale (Gwen), and Lucas Brahme (Robert) are truly wonderful throughout the course of the short film. They bring the unique but pertinent scenarios to life, and viewers become engrossed in all that writer-director Marly Jaeger has to say.
Comedy and drama play beautifully opposite one another and are able to invite viewers in from the opening seconds. Jaeger and her cast are incredible as they refuse to let viewers lose interest, and Simon’s Quest plays out smoothly from beginning to end.
Along with the actors’ abilities to purvey emotion, the cinematography team needs to be able to capture that emotion. And they do just this. This crew runs the gamut of shots, and they are able to capture every emotion, every pivotal act, and everything in between as Simon’s Quest plays out. Holly Durgan and Gale are tasked with capturing the essence of the film, and they find incredible success while on their journey. There is something very artistic about the approach that they take toward bringing everything together, and the otherness of what they bring to the table affords the film success.
I feel like I often have qualms with the length of films. Short films sometimes deserve more time, while some feature-length films lack enough content for their sixty-plus-minute runtime. That’s where my issue lies with Simon’s Quest, I wanted to see Simon and those around him develop more, and time would have allowed this to happen. I wanted more from the story, not necessarily because it was underdeveloped (because it wasn’t), but rather because it was so entertaining that I wanted more from each of the characters and the overall story. The length, however, is an issue (if you can even call it that) that can be overlooked. The acting, cinematography, and writing are genuinely good, and Simon’s Quest is a success.
Written & Directed by Marley Jaeger.
Starring Johnny Pozzi, Talley Gale, Lucas Brahme, Timothy J. Cox, Liz Days, Anibal Nobel, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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