“Come with Me” Looks into the Heart of Belief
It’s not a particularly bold or unique statement to say that things in America, and the world at large, feel scary. People are on edge, the cost of living is sky high, and humanity is splintering apart. It’s no wonder there’s a rise of extremist mentalities fueled by many a charismatic, assured leader’s diagnosis of the world. This person has figured out what’s wrong with the world and if you listen, you, too, can be freed from the lies fed to the masses and regain your humanity. Aaron Harvey’s Come with Me puts the viewer in the shoes of a man who’s desperate for something to cling to, and the slippery slope he finds himself on.
The first introduction to the world of Come with Me is the sound of Dalton Kirby’s (Ron Perlman) voice. He’s a radio host who espouses right-wing, extremist views, but does so in a calm, reassuring voice. He doesn’t shout or talk rapidly. He’s slow and calm, giving the listener the feeling that Dalton is in control. The listener in question is Simon (Theo Rossi), a working-class mechanic. After his and his girlfriend’s (Kate French) rental house is randomly broken into, Simon starts to lean more into Dalton’s rhetoric, taking it at face value. The robbery is what pushes him to a point of no return.
As an outsider, it’s very easy to write off someone like Simon falling for the utter nonsense Dalton spews. Someone whose needs are met is not looking for answers in these outlets. Someone like Simon, who’s desperate and frustrated, wants to find some sort of rationale for what the world throws at him and the people he loves. Why did his girlfriend’s favorite jewelry get stolen? Why is his best friend’s (Ronnie Gene Blevins) daughter living in so much pain from an illness that will likely kill her before she gets to grow up? Someone has to answer for this, or so believes Simon.
Come with Me shows the steep cliffside so many in the world are standing on today. It’s not just right-wing podcasts or news shows that can unravel the delicate balance of a person’s life. It’s religion, SoulCycle, capitalism, what have you. All of these are outlets for feelings of inadequacy, anger, and frustration with how the world is stacked against the little guy. Come with Me shows how easy it is to fall over that edge. How one small, random act can be the thing that pushes a person into a psychosis of sorts. Simon begins the film having never shot a gun, but as things progress, he amasses a collection and spends all his free time at the firing range.
Harvey’s script and direction offer empathy to Simon. They don’t condone the ever-increasing violence he commits, but Come with Me does take the viewer on the path to understanding how he got there. How desperation changes a person, especially when the system has them trapped and feeling like there’s no way out or through. Rossi once again rises to, and beyond, the nuance that’s called of him. Simon could have been played in a way that made him feel too cartoonish and choreographed his downward spiral from the start. Instead, Rossi’s Simon comes across as a guy you’ve probably shared a beer with. The sort of everyman we can understand. Nothing about Come with Me feels outside the realm of possibility, which is why the film feels vital to our contemporary social landscape.
“If there’s a god, he doesn’t give a shit about us. He never did.” How do you believe in a higher power when that faith never makes anything easier? When that god forces a family to endure the loss of a child? Come with Me shows the “why” behind the search for meaning in life. How this search for betterment, when misplaced, can lead to ruin.
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