‘Borderline’ review: Samara Weaving and Ray Nicholson delight in the fandom gone wrong thriller-horror
3.5/5 crazed fans
Jimmy Warden’s Borderline poses a very terrifying question: What happens when fans go too far? A singer (Samara Weaving) learns the hard way.
The “trapped in a house” genre horror film puts Weaving in a starring role once again. She plays Sofia, a singer who comes in contact with her stalker fan Paul Duerson (Ray Nicholson) after he breaks into her house. Her body guard, Bell (Eric Dane) cannot protect her from Duerson’s obsessed ways and the thriller leaves you terrified of fame and also Nicholson’s devious smile.
Over all, the movie is pretty much what you expect it to be. Sofia is trapped by her stalker and another “fan” of hers and the two are so obsessed with Sofia that they, in turn, don’t really care who she is. Just that they’re in her presence. The murderous romp has a great soundtrack, a great kill, and is a trippy look at how far obsession over a celebrity can go.
In terms of the film being a “horror” movie, it fits in with the “trapped” genre well. There aren’t really jump scares or moments that you’re hiding behind a blanket in your home but it is a pretty good entry into this style of film making. But what I love about Borderline is the spotlight on fandom and obsession and how far it can go.
It is all fun and games until a fan traps you in your own home
One of my favorite aspects of this film is that it is Paul who is the stalker fan. More often than not, women are labeled as weird for our love of celebrities or movies or whatever it may be. The amount of times I’ve been called weird for loving an actors filmography is truly upsetting to me. But for the most part, a woman’s love of a filmography or discography or what have you is innocent. We stay in our homes watching their work or go to public events or concerts and that’s it.
Borderline shows an almost possessive need for Paul to be in Sofia’s life and if I wanted to, I’d point out that it is often men that feel this way about properties and people. Think about all the guys who think that Star Wars is theirs and theirs alone!
Obviously Borderline is an extreme situation but I do appreciate that the film doesn’t lean into the “crazed female fan” trope that is often thrown onto women. Focusing the “fandom” aspect of this movie on Paul makes it even more terrifying, in my opinion. Maybe because I do think that certain men are…capable of this kind of obsession.
Overall, Borderline is sharp, fun, and a witty little thriller that is pretty straight forward. But it is Weaving and Nicholson’s performances that carry the entire film and makes it something even better than a satisfying kill in a horror movie. So make sure you hit the record story and see Borderline, in theaters, to experience Warden’s directorial debut!
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