Borderline

This film starts out okay, with a great cast, decent acting, and a premise that one feels might be a pretty entertaining black comedy... but the whole thing doesn't really amount to anything.

The writing here feels improvised, like random wacky and edgy ideas are being thrown into a blender to hopefully result in a crazy modern cult favourite.

You can almost hear somebody wetting themselves at jokes that your uncle might tell at a party that no-one laughs at, or like an SNL sketch that never made the cut and was not broadcast.

The confidence in this material to produce and release this film seems as delusional as the title character.

It's probably not as bad to other viewers as it is to me, but sometimes disappointment in something I thought was going to be great feels like I'm being ripped off or something.

I'm starting to think Jimmy Warden films are not for me. I haven't enjoyed anything I've seen of his to date. His films seem to find an awkward middle ground between serious and humour, and instead of being the best of both worlds, it's the worst of both and just becomes painful to get through.

That's how I found 'Borderline'. I just couldn't find any element of it to grip on to. When it's trying to be funny, it is rarely funny. When it's trying to be serious, it comes across very flat and uninteresting. And when it trying to be stylish and crafty, it just doesn't work.

The one thing I will give it credit for is some good song choices along the way. Otherwise this one was a complete miss for me. A very generous 4/10.

"Borderline" had the ingredients to be something truly special, but instead, it settles for being just fine. The film teases a bold and sharp-edged narrative, yet it never fully embraces its potential, leaving an overall experience that is enjoyable in parts but frustratingly uneven.

The movie struggles with pacing. Several scenes drag on far longer than necessary, turning initially amusing or interesting moments into awkward stretches that overstay their welcome. More than once, I found myself thinking, "Why is this scene still going? It was funny a minute ago, but now it's just uncomfortable." This inconsistent rhythm makes the film feel sluggish at times, dampening its impact.

While the humor worked for me in many places-thanks to my appreciation for dark, offbeat comedy-it might not land for everyone. The film walks a fine line between being cleverly absurd and just feeling directionless. There are glimpses of brilliance in the writing, but they often get buried under scenes that lack focus or feel like they're stalling for time.

On the positive side, I really liked the character of Penny. Her dialogue, delivery, and presence (even if minimal) add energy to the film, making it feel brighter and more engaging whenever she's on screen. Her wit and charisma create some of the film's best moments.

Overall, "Borderline" could have been so much more. It had the potential to be a sharp, biting dark comedy, but instead, it settles for being intermittently amusing and frustratingly uneven. It's a film that I wanted to love but could only like-and just barely.

Jimmy Warden's directorial debut, Borderline, attempts to fuse a home-invasion thriller with dark comedy, but the result is a tonal mess that never quite finds its footing. The film, set in the 1990s, follows a pop star (Samara Weaving) whose mansion is invaded by a delusional, sociopathic fan (Ray Nicholson). While the premise has potential, the script oscillates wildly between genuinely tense moments and jarringly misplaced attempts at humor, often undercutting the very suspense it tries to build. Nicholson delivers a committed performance, channeling a certain unsettling charisma, but the character is too cartoonish to be truly menacing. Samara Weaving is, as always, a magnetic presence, but she is often left to react to the film's chaotic and nonsensical events. Eric Dane is largely wasted in a supporting role. The film's biggest flaw is its inability to decide what it wants to be, resulting in a confusing and ultimately unmemorable experience.

Is it worth watching? No, it's a frustratingly inconsistent film that fails to live up to the promise of its cast and premise.

Samara Weaving is a delight to watch. She's let down by a bad script and direction that is tonally all over the place. Ray Nicholson is campy and over the top, so if that's your thing you're in luck. He's too zany to ever be truly threatening. The characters behave in irrational ways just to make the plot happen. It's quirky and off beat but none of the humor really lands (the funniest bits are Ms. Weavings facial expressions to the craziness around her). The only reason this was set in the '90s is tonget around the ubiquity of cell phones. I'm not sure the movie knows what it's supposed to be and just ends up being a muddled mess. The film was competently shot and does look good.