Borderline is fanciful and frightening as the extremes of entertaining a stalker build to catastrophic potential levels. It’s entertaining, and the cast creates plenty of memorable moments.
Borderline is an oddball dark comedy that keeps audiences thinking about what’s happening next. But even moreso, it feels like an exaggerated example of real life. It’s what happens when everyone caters to an entitled white man. The situation could quickly end at the start of the film. However, as folks around the stalker express concern for his well-being, the danger rises. Whether it’s people giving a known stalker the benefit of the doubt or allies actively aiding his schemes, Borderline keeps it strange yet nails the emotional terror and underlying societal harm thanks to its cast.
Written and directed by Jim Warden, the movie centers on a bodyguard, Bell, played by Eric Dane (Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Euphoria) in Los Angeles in the 1990s. He protects his pop star, Sofia, played by Samara Weaving (Azrael, Chevalier), and her friend, Rhodes (Jimmie Fails, Nickel Boys), from an obsessed stalker. As Ray Nicholson (Smile 2, I Love You Forever) portrays the unhinged stalker Duerson, the comedy lies in the uncomfortable terror and uncertainty.
Borderline Shows the Dangers of Humoring Danger
From the start, the film is a collection of missed opportunities characters overlook. That is because of their irrational hope in a white man suffering from mental health issues. However, there’s little separation—aside from the hallucinations—between Duerson’s adamant entitlement and the average man (white men especially). Many believe everyone around them must acquiesce to their desires. It starts with Bell dealing with Duerson’s arrival at Sofia’s home. Based on their conversation, it’s apparent they’ve done this before. While Duerson suffers from mental health issues, the pandering disregards the person he stalks, Sofia. Aside from the mental harm it ignores the potential danger.
Here is a man who shows up repeatedly at a celebrity’s home to see her. While the film is a dark comedy, the terror and anger are genuine. Because even Sofia’s bodyguard humors him. This results in Duerson stabbing him and then traipsing through her house. Audiences do not see Sofia’s reaction until much later in the film, which is horrifying. She plays second fiddle in a film where she is the center of another’s obsession. Still, Samara Weaving does breathtaking and traumatic work. She captures so much in her expression when Sofia realizes her stalker is behind her. That’s the moment viewers realize how horrific it all is.
The Ongoing Harm
Furthermore, her friend Rhodes also suffers an injury while, again, humoring Duerson. This is because Bell asserts he should play along. Jimmie Fails does a magnificent job conveying increasing levels of discomfort and fear. Regardless of the movie’s intention, Borderline demonstrates the destruction that can happen from humoring one white man. Ray Nicholson is completely spellbinding. He is a creepy, smiley, unhinged stalker. It’s like Ray Nicholson saw Mia Goth at the end of Pearl and thought, “Challenge accepted.” But his emotional state inspires sympathy. However, it does not change how too many people put Duerson’s emotions first, which leads to more danger. Helping one person and endangering multiple others is nonsensical. Yet, it happens countless times.
Keeps Viewers Guessing
Borderline is fanciful and frightening as the extremes of entertaining a stalker build to catastrophic potential levels. It’s entertaining, and the cast creates plenty of memorable moments. It’s impossible to predict what’s next in this movie. Its quirky dark humor hides a surreal yet all too familiar tale of societal coddling of men, creating a dangerous situation for those around them. Borderline keeps it strange and ridiculous all around while delving into the increased toxicity of putting a white man’s needs first.
