- Release year: 2025
- Director: Jimmy Warden.
- Producers: Tom Ackerley, Brian Duffield, Josey McNamara, and Hadeel Reda.
- Screenplay by: Jimmy Warden.
- Cinematography by: Michael Alden Lloyd.
- Music by: Mondo Boys.
Synopsis: a famous singer is forced to deal with her deranged stalker when he bypasses her security and breaks into her house.
Shotgun Commentary: bloody, hilarious, unhinged.
Review
The next stop on my personal search for a movie featuring Samara Weaving that I don’t like is Borderline. Sadly, this film is not the lucky winner, as it is freaking hysterical. If you like bloody comedies with insane twists, do stick around; this will definitely be your vibe.
The feature follows superstar Sofia (Samara Weaving) and her biggest stalker, Paul (Ray Nicholson). Sofia is a woman used to fame; she enjoys its perks and is completely unapologetic about it, and you know what? Hell yeah! Brooding, tortured celebrity characters are annoying and, at this point, lowkey offensive. So watching a superstar enjoy her life without being particularly isolated from the world or crying diamonds about “the pressures of fame” is weirdly calming.
Flawless cast
Weaving is known for playing unrepentant characters, and she has played a similar character before in The Valet (2022), which is yet TBW by this critic. So it is not surprising to see her character be as practical and straightforward as possible. Does her performance change your life? Not really. Does it need to? No, not at all.
Gory shenanigans aside, the attraction of the show is Ray Nicholson, playing exactly the same type of creep his father did, smile and all. His character Paul manages to be creepy and charming at the same time, but other than that, he is essentially a copycat of every psycho Jack Nicholson has ever played. In fact, the only reason why he is worth mentioning, other than his outstanding ability to mimic his father, is the final scene of the movie. A tiny moment during the final credits where Paul truly shows the depth of his struggle, and Nicholson Jr shows his actual talent.
Still, the true star of the movie is, by far, Bell (Eric Dane), Sofia’s bodyguard. A man so over life in general that he can juggle stalkers, giants, and banter without blinking an eye. Dane brings his full charisma to this one and gets you fully invested in Bell’s arc despite it being pretty secondary. Alongside Jimmie Fails as Rhodes, they are the comedic highlight of the film.
Final notes
The narrative itself is pretty wacky, but in the best way possible. Don’t stop to think too much about it, because things just ARE. And you wouldn’t have them any other way. For a film about a break-in, this is shockingly light and fun. The nonsensical conversations and unpredictable behaviour of most of the characters do contribute to this, but the gore is undoubtedly the secret ingredient. In that sense, it reminds greatly of Ready or Not (2019): great dialogues, side-splitting violence, and strangely charming characters, no matter where in the morality scale they are placed.
All in all, Borderline is a thoroughly enjoyable film for anyone who laughs at a good, nonsensical splatter of blood. The performances might not be shocking, but they are fantastic nonetheless, and the writing is witty and cool. The production design is gorgeous, and, let’s be honest, who doesn’t like a good bloodbath in a fancy house?
Advice to take from this movie:
- Sometimes people just need to burn.
- Never argue with an armed crazy person.
- One needs to know when to stop indulging deluded people.
What’s your take? Have you watched Borderline? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message on my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀