Overview
A touching exploration of friendship and life's fragility unfolds as two men confront their past.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- irreverent
- warm
- reflective evening
- lgbtq film night
What critics said
Critics broadly viewed Simon as an engaging, well-played Dutch dramedy whose emotional accessibility and ensemble performances are undercut by a familiar terminal-illness formula.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Simon and Camiel reconnect when Camiel's terminal cancer forces their estranged bond into direct confrontation with death.
The plot explicitly includes assisted suicide as Camiel faces terminal cancer and considers how to end his suffering.
The unlikely friendship between a mild-mannered dentist and a hedonistic womanizer mixes humor with cancer and end-of-life themes.
Simon and Camiel rekindle their friendship after a decade apart because Camiel's illness changes the terms of their relationship.
Films like Simon, and why
The Bucket List
warm but bittersweet friendship drama centered on terminal illness, moral choices, and emotional reconciliation
The Intouchables
adult friendship story combining humor, mortality, and candid discussion of end-of-life decisions
The Wedding Banquet
lgbtq-themed character drama balancing irreverent comedy with illness, intimacy, and human bonding
Movie Details
- Director
- Eddy Terstall
- Release Date
- 2004-09-30
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (60)
Cast
- Cees Geel
- Marcel Hensema
- Rifka Lodeizen
- Eddy Kariti
- Nadja Hüpscher
- Eva Duijvestein
- Daan Ekkel
- Dirk Zeelenberg
- Stijn Koomen
- Johnny de Mol
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Simon about?
- An estranged friendship finds renewed tenderness and difficult honesty when terminal illness brings two very different Dutch men back together.
- What is Simon like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Simon as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Simon violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Simon.
- What did critics think of Simon?
- Critics broadly viewed Simon as an engaging, well-played Dutch dramedy whose emotional accessibility and ensemble performances are undercut by a familiar terminal-illness formula.
- Which films are like Simon?
- Films with a similar feel include The Bucket List, The Intouchables, and The Wedding Banquet.
- How long is Simon?
- Simon runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch Simon?
- In United States, Simon is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video.
