Parents' Guide to Simón

Films dealing with current political crises are always in peril of becoming overly biased or didactic. What Simón director Diego Vicentini beautifully achieves is focusing on the story of one individual, which he doesn't try to turn into a universal symbol for a conflict that requires nuanced views. Expertly played by Christian McGaffney, Simón is a man on the brink of a breakdown. He perfectly communicates the fear of leaving your home and trying to start anew in a country where your safety depends on arbitrary laws.

McGaffney leads a pitch-perfect ensemble in which no one is reduced to cliché or stereotype. An encounter with a figure from his past goes from being terrifying to becoming one of the most unexpectedly moving scenes about the ways in which men can bond through their vulnerability. Teenagers might benefit from learning about the conflict in Venezuela while watching characters that have a humanity that transcends the screen.