Borderland (2007) DVD

Based on a true story, Borderland tells the story of three American college boys (Brian Presley, Rider Strong and Jake Muxworthy) who take a road trip to Mexico for one final binge before they go off to University. They set out to drink, flirt and smoke the week away, until one member of the group is kidnapped by a member of a Mexican drug gang to sacrifice to a satanic deity, perhaps not a particularly frightening concept, were it not based on real events.

Like most indie horror films Borderland doesn’t skimp on the gore, and considering before the opening credits have even rolled you are treated to an eye gouging, arms being sawn off and a beheading, you soon get the idea of which direction this film is heading. But then again, Borderland isn’t like most horror films. You could argue it isn’t even a horror film, but what sets it out from any other Hostel type gore-fests is that it actually has a fairly decent, if slightly predictable story.

Violence and blood lust aside, what really makes the film so believable and frightening is Zev Berman’s screenplay; with faultless attention to detail when it comes to the creation of ‘Borderland’, a place that seems to exist neither in America or Mexico, but in a seedy suburb where anything goes. With some fantastic cinematography, including a seedy strip club, the intense claustrophobia of the barn shed and the epic grandeur of the film’s main torture chamber, the film stands miles apart from the trashy indie horror films we have become so accustomed to.

Trying desperately to avoid the cliché of other horrors, the lead characters are well thought out, each with their own unique personality traits. Ed (Brian Presley) is the token nice guy, the obvious survivor, who despite moments of madness comes out of the film relatively unscathed. Phil (Jake Muxworthy) provides the comic relief; he’s dim-witted and does exactly as he’s told, whilst Phil (Rider Strong) is the typical jock, mistreating women and generally being a lout. Although these may sound like fairly typical characters, Berman’s decision to focus on just three characters makes for some interesting character development – seldom seem in films such as this, making it more likely to appeal to audiences that might usually overlook the genre.

The film’s only real downfall is its ending, which in comparison to the rest of the film is weak and doesn’t give the audience a particularly satisfying pay-off. Whilst it’s understandable the film is meant to be based on real events, meaning they can’t completely over-blow it, a little bit of artist licence wouldn’t go a miss to add that much needed spark.

Borderland is by no means a masterpiece and it’s unlikely to score any big wins at any film festivals anytime soon, however a confident cast and a strong enough storyline coupled with the right amount of gore makes for a pleasing watch, just don’t turn the lights out.

Kevin Angel