Movie Review: ‘Borderline’

‘Borderline’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.

Opening in theaters and on digital on March 14th, ‘Borderline’ represents the latest movie to blend comedy and violent chaos, all drawn from the keyboard of writer Jimmy Warden, who last brought us the loosely-based-on-truth madness that was ‘Cocaine Bear.’

In this case, he’s behind the camera, making his directorial debut with this story of a 1990s pop star whose home is invaded by her self-proclaimed biggest fan –– a stalker with borderline personality disorder who just wants her to love him. She, meanwhile, just wants to survive their latest encounter.

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Will ‘Borderline’ grab your attention?

Ray Nicholson in ‘Borderline’, a Magnet release. Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing.

While Warden’s comedy chops were on full display in ‘Cocaine Bear,’ that film had Elizabeth Banks calling the shots, where ‘Borderline’ is full spectrum Warden, delivered by the writer himself.

And that unfettered pipeline from page to screen means that his brand of chaos is on full display, for both good and ill. For while it’s certainly packing some laughs (and even manages to find nuance in several characters), it can’t always keep things on track.

Script and Direction

Jimmy Warden, writer and director of ‘Borderline’, a Magnet release. Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing.

Warden’s style has been honed in the last few years working on the likes of the ‘Babysitter’ movies for Netflix and having spent time in the trenches with such talents as Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (he was a production assistant on ‘21 Jump Street’), ‘No One Will Save You’ filmmaker Brian Duffield, who helped get both ‘Cocaine Bear’ and ‘Borderline’ to screens and Margot Robbie, who clearly saw enough in the script to produce via her LuckyChap company.

Let loose, Warden here has cooked up the 1990s-set tale of Paul Duerson (Ray Nicholson), who has been living under the delusion that he’s in a relationship with pop star Sofia (Samara Weaving). We meet Paul, dressed in what he thinks is his best, when he’s making his latest attempt to get access to Sofia’s mansion.

That ends in a bloodbath when he stabs her loyal bodyguard Bell (Eric Dane), but calls both the police and an ambulance, eventually ending up in a mental health institution (while Bell heads to the hospital).

Fast-forward several months and Bell is recovering while Sofia dates emotional basketball player Rhodes (Jimmy Fails), only for a planned night to be rudely interrupted by a freshly-escaped Paul, who has cooked up his grandest scheme yet. With the help of the hulking J.H. and the equally unhinged Penny (Alba Baptista), Paul plan to kidnap Sofia and marry her.

Warden has clearly thought through all that can go wrong with this schemes, setting things up well and roping in Bell’s family to add to the complications.

Yet tone is sometimes an issue here, the lunatic stalker comedy occasionally grinding up against an attempt to say more about the pressures of fame and the deeper issues that Sofia herself has (she’s not always the easiest person to deal with either).

And as the movie barrels towards its conclusion (which we won’t spoil), there are moments that aim to blend comedy and violence, but don’t completely work, souring the entertainment value.

Still, Warden shows some promise as a director to go with the skills he has as a writer. There’s nothing too diverting about his framing or filming choices, mostly letting the camera help tell the story. He also has a keen ear for some fun and appropriate ‘90s needle drops.

Cast and Performances

Ray Nicholson in ‘Borderline’, a Magnet release. Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing.

A big part of why ‘Borderline’ works at all is the committed performances from its leads.

Nicholson, who was last seen sporting a terrifying grin as the heroine’s late boyfriend in ‘Smile 2,’ is here throwing himself into the role of slightly greasy, very desperate but ultimately relatable weirdo Paul.

With his stringy moustache and his cringe-worthy fashion choices, he makes for an off-kilter yet compelling stalker figure, a man with clear issues and one whose life is mostly lived in his head.

Samara Weaving in ‘Borderline’, a Magnet release. Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing.

As Sofia, Weaving brings the right level of spoiled starlet and kooky humanity to the role, and is also –– thanks to her experiences in the likes of ‘Ready or Not’ and ‘Scream VI’ attempt at going the scream queen route when needed, and fighting back at other times.

Eric Dane is handed a solid role as loyal bodyguard Bell; a man weary of having to deal with the likes of Paul but committed to keeping his charge safe with sensitive tough guy grace. This also sees Dane willing to throw himself into the comedy side of things, even while he’s mostly the straight man as the madness unfolds around him.

Elsewhere, Patrick Cox has fun as the giant J.H., someone for whom violence comes easy, but never without regret, and Baptista keeps Penny at just the right level of weird. Fails, meanwhile, steals some scenes as the easily offended sportsman Rhodes.

Final Thoughts

A scene from ‘Borderline’, a Magnet release. Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing.

‘Borderline’ will appeal to those who appreciated the comic stylings of ‘Cocaine Bear’ and shows some progress for Warden. If it can’t quite stick the landing, it at least has some fun along the way.

What is the plot of ‘Borderline’?

Set in Los Angeles in the 1990s, a pop star’s (Samara Weaving) home is broken in by an obsessive fan (Ray Nicholson) who delusively believes they are getting married and manipulates their surroundings to create a wedding atmosphere.

Who is in the cast of ‘Borderline’?

• Samara Weaving as Sofia
• Ray Nicholson as Duerson
• Eric Dane as Bell
• Alba Baptista as Penny
• Jimmie Fails as Rhodes

Theatrical one-sheet for ‘Borderline’, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing.

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