Borderline review: Film is a bit uneven but features fantastic performances from Ray Nicholson and Alba Baptista and a riveting opening.
PLOT: Follows a dangerously persistent stalker (Ray Nicholson) who invades the home of a ‘90s pop superstar (Samara Weaving) with grand delusions of a wedding. With her life on the line and help from her loyal bodyguard, she must escape the stalker’s sinister grip before they tie the knot
REVIEW: Samara Weaving is a staple of the horror genre at this point. It’s not a matter of if she’ll star in a new horror movie, it’s always when. Because there are few actresses that have shown the genre as much love as Weaving, and fans have returned the favor. Now, she’s taking on a less flashy role and allowing the actors around her to really shine. Borderline rides the line between more than just damaged personalities, and skirts so many genres, it almost takes on the same quality of its stalker lead. And as such, it may prove difficult to find a big audience.
Borderline is a tale of a man, Duerson, hopelessly in love with a pop star named Sofia…resulting in him stalking her and routinely making trips to her home. Thankfully Duerson is caught, but when he escapes from a mental hospital, his true plan can finally be set in motion, with the end goal being a marriage to Sofia. As you can guess, things do not go well for anyone in Sofia’s orbit, as Duerson proves to be quite persistent. And there’s an oddly likeable aspect of him that makes the events all the more confounding as a viewer. I was obviously on Sofia’s side, but I still found myself rooting for Duerson due to his charisma.
Samara Weaving’s Sofia is a self-obsessed musician who comes across a bit dull due to the personalities surrounding her. She’s more of the straight man here, allowing the others to go crazy around her and accentuate their wonderful performances. It means her role is a bit less showy, but she still rocks it. I was also very impressed with Eric Dane, who plays Sofia’s bodyguard. The narrative falters a bit when his family gets involved, but Dane does a great job through it all. The introduction between he and Duerson is the best scene in the film, and sets up the narrative brilliantly.
Ray Nicholson is absolutely phenomenal in Borderline to the point where I feel like this may be his coming out party. He plays Duerson as someone who is so lost and delusional, yet still manages to be likeable. Ironically, I’d even say there are shades of his father’s performance as The Joker present. There’s a phenomenal showcase moment for him that reminded me of a shot from Strange Darling where we see Willa Fitzgerald go through a range of emotion. Just like that scene, this feels like the first time we’re truly seeing the real Duerson, and it’s a showcase for Nicholson’s acting ability.
Alba Baptista comes into the movie like a freight train, with her character Penny maybe even more unpredictable than Duerson. While he clearly plans things out, Penny acts on impulse and can change her mind in an instant. She feels like even more of a threat than the massive cousin (Patrick Cox) due to her being an absolute psychopath. There’s a moment with a bit of fire that cements her as one of the craziest women in all of cinema. There should be a mental ward named after her.
Writer/Director Jimmy Warden (who is also Weaving’s husband) makes his directorial debut here and does a decent job. I’m not entirely convinced that the film needed to be set in the 90s, as it could practically be modern day with how it’s presented. Cell phones always complicate horror films, so I understand that aspect, just seems like the 90sness could have been more at the forefront. There are some dumb moments like the power going out and being explained away with a simple “They were supposed to fix this weeks ago!” Or the random duet between Weaving and Baptista that goes on way too long. It’s stuff like this which really holds it back from being truly great and makes for an uneven experience.
Borderline doesn’t quite reach its potential, but it still has a lot going for it. Wonderfully psychotic performances from Nicholson and Baptista really give this the film its identity. The opening is absolutely spectacular and sets up the movie perfectly. It just loses that momentum and struggles to get it back outside of short bursts until the ending, which does manage to work as a great bookends to the chaos.
BORDERLINE IS PLAYING IN THEATERS ON MARCH 14TH, 2025.
