The Search for Simon is a low budget sci-fi comedy which follows 39 year David Jones (Martin Gooch – Doctors, Hollyoaks), a man that never really got over the disappearance of his younger brother Simon, who vanished at the age of 7 in 1979, apparently abducted by aliens… according to his Dad.
David’s best (and only) friend Robert, saddened by his friend’s obsession and unwillingness to let go of the past, tries his best to get David interested in other things: games, pub quizzes, re-enactment societies and even… women. And then one day after a chance random encounter with a book writing psychologist with an ear for obsession, he catches the eye of a pretty young woman, and everything changes…
The film plays out in a world surrounded by all-out geekery. From the aforementioned historical re-enactment societies, to old school tablet top gaming, to UFO hunting, scifi and video games. Pretty much ever aspect of geekdom is represented somewhere in the movie. This also spills over into the cast, which rather looks like Martin, who is also director and writer as well as the star, walked through the signing area of an MCM Comic Con, and asked everyone he met if they’d take a part. Carol Cleveland (Monty Python), Sophie Aldred (Doctor Who), Tom Price (Torchwood), Chase Masterson (Star-Trek Deep Space 9) and Simon Jones (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy TV Series) all make appearances, to name but a few. It’s literally a whos who of British comedy and scifi from the last 30 years.
Search For Simon maybe low budget, and may not be perfect, but it is utterly sweet and charming. As David continues through his quest and discovers more about what happened to his younger brother, it becomes apparent that’s not really what the story is about. Amongst the scifi cameos and gags, there is an much deeper and more poignant story of a troubled soul trying to cope with the loss of a loved one.
If you’re a geek (and you’re reading this site, so I suspect that is the case), then this quirky, off-beat movie, is definitely a film for you.
The Search for Simon is available on DVD now.
