BORDERLINE: Horror Comedy Done Right

I’ve spoken at length about the difficulty of nailing the horror comedy. Not long ago I even declared the medium dead, no longer viable, so tricky that all recent attempts have been negatively entertaining schlock fests. Well, reporting from the front lines, I’m happy to say, that I was very wrong. I stick by my previous statement though, that is a very tricky movie to make, to nail that tone, to give it just enough suspense and unease and creep factor along with the comedy that no one part takes over and ruins the vibe. That is still a true statement but luckily there is at least one person still working out there today who gets it.

source: Magnolia Pictures

Borderline was written and directed by Jimmy Warden who most recently penned the screenplay for Cocaine Bear. I feel like that’s all I really have to say, Cocaine Bear was an insanely fun ride and here, Borderline is just more of the same. It very much kept the same bonkers tone and bloody vibes from his previous work but it also injected a lot of heart and just great storytelling. He put together an amazing cast featuring Samara Weaving (Ready or Not), Ray Nicholson (Smile 2), Alba Baptista (Amelia’s Children), Eric Dane (Grey’s Anatomy), and Jimmie Fails (Nickel Boys). Everything came together so perfectly and everyone played together so nice that I would want to see this cast tell many more stories. It was a well oiled company of actors.

Everybody Needs Somebody, Sometime

The film kicks off when Paul (Nicholson) shows up to Sofia’s (Weaving) house uninvited and is greeted by her security guard played by Eric Dane. It’s made very clear from the start (and it’s all over the trailer so I’m giving nothing away) that Paul is a very disturbed individual and we are dealing with a level 100 stalker type situation. Through a series of events Paul manages to get into the house and his fantasy runs wild. He eventually calls the cops on himself, spends six months in jail, then breaks out with a plan and people to help him pull it off. It is about to be a very interesting night. Paul is convinced that Sofia is the love of his life and he has to get to her so they can be married. That’s about all I’m willing to say so that I don’t ruin all of the surprises along the way but, that is enough. Trust me, it’s enough.

source: Magnolia Pictures

Like I said, everyone in this film did a fantastic job. Warden wrote an incredible screenplay and his choice of camera work was amazing. The editing style that he employed was equally top notch, everything about it was gorgeous. Samara Weaving in the lead was once again at the top of her game, she’s right at home in these horror comedy type movies and her facial expressions are next level hilarious in certain moments here. Eric Dane as well gave another great performance, he’s been taking smaller parts since his time on Grey’s but whenever he shows up, you can count on it being quality. He was able to really show off his chops in a few scenes in this and he was fantastic. For me though, the star of the show was Ray Nicholson. His portrayal of madness was second to none (the apple didn’t fall far from the tree) and his comedy timing was equally impressive. Throughout the course of this film we got to see him cover every emotion on the spectrum and I really cant wait to see what he does next.

Everybody Finds Somebody Someplace

Looking back over the films that I’ve watched this year, this has been my favorite. It has been the most original, the funniest, the strangest (by far), and just a completely good time. The movie took a very serious subject (weird obsessive stalking) and turned it into a 90 minutes blood-soaked comedy romp that was hard to look away from. Everyone elevated their game or kept it at their already high standards and just effortlessly delivered. Warden has been hitting home-runs for a while now and whatever he does next is going to instantly gain my interest. The Babysitter, Cocaine Bear, now Borderline, the man is churning out unique and interesting scripts the way a seasoned chef cuts onions, seemingly with his eyes closed.

This movie did a lot over the course of its 90 minutes, it made us laugh, it made us cringe, it made us look through our fingers. We felt bad for certain characters (some we had no business feeling bad for) and rooted for everyone to succeed. Borderline was a film that crossed many genres and stuck around in each one just long enough to give us a taste. It never lingered or made us feel tired for watching it, it moved quickly from one thing thing to the next and gave us a ride that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. This is definitely a movie to watch with friends, with popcorn, and a space where everyone can laugh at inappropriate moments. There will be much laughing. You can currently find this gem on Apple TV+ and if you don’t subscribe to that, you know someone who does. If you don’t even know someone who does, this film is worth at least a one month subscription price. It’s that good.

Borderline is available by VOD.