Borderline (2025) - Film Critique

      Borderline, 2025.

      Written and Directed by Jimmy Warden.

      Starring Samara Weaving, Ray Nicholson, Jimmie Fails, Eric Dane, Alba Baptista, Catherine Lough Haggquist, Patrick Cox, Terence Kelly, Matthew Del Bel Belluz, and Yasmeen Kelders.

      SYNOPSIS:

      In 1990s Los Angeles, a bodyguard safeguards a pop superstar and her athlete partner from an obsessed stalker.

      Jimmy Warden's Borderline presents a couple of intriguing subversive ideas about home invasion set in the 1990s. The first plot element features Paul Duerson (Ray Nicholson), a deranged sociopath fixated on breaking into pop star Sofia’s (Samara Weaving) heavily guarded house (Eric Dane) to compel her into marriage. The film introduces Sofia as a somewhat self-absorbed celebrity who uses people for her entertainment. Her current fictional NBA superstar boyfriend, Rhodes (Jimmie Fails), appears content until he learns he is merely one of many celebrities on her dating list, used and discarded like the jigsaw puzzles she enjoys assembling in her spare time.

      Despite this, we still find sympathy for her when the erratic Paul intrudes into her home, joined by a diverse group of other escapees from a psychiatric facility who align with him in his unsettling mission. Paul often conflates reality with fantasy, at times convincing himself that other figures, particularly men, are Sofia. However, once inside the house, the film struggles to explore the complex dynamics of rooting for a possibly questionable superstar in need of rescue, ultimately squandering Jimmie Fails’ presence.

      The second thought-provoking subversive angle attempts to develop Eric Dane’s character, bodyguard Bell, who has sustained serious injuries on the job, while his anxious daughter Abby (Yasmeen Kelders) expresses her disapproval of his profession, suggesting it devalues his life compared to that of a wealthy celebrity who employs protection. This interesting topic is largely overlooked as the film progresses.

      Borderline primarily becomes a tonal mishap, leaning into comedic crime caper elements. Paul’s accomplices include a similarly eccentric French woman (Alba Baptista) eager to kill and enthusiastic about making Sofia sing a duet in her studio, along with his visually impaired enforcer J H. (Patrick Cox), who grows confused by Paul’s increasingly erratic behavior but remains lethargically compliant with orders.

      As these eccentric characters continue to disrupt Sofia’s life, their antics start to feel like empty distractions devoid of suspense or tension. It’s a profoundly misguided effort from Jimmy Warden, the writer of Cocaine Bear, to infuse this material with a similar absurd tone. However, as Borderline unfolds, it becomes uncomfortably humorous in ways that seem unintentional, inadvertently prompting viewers to laugh at mental health issues. By the end, while attempting to acknowledge some earlier dynamics and convey empathy for Paul’s troubled psyche, the film ends up being insulting.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★

      Robert Kojder is a part of the Chicago Film Critics Association, Critics Choice Association, and Online Film Critics Society. He's also the Reviews Editor at Flickering Myth. Check here for new reviews and follow my BlueSky or Letterboxd.