Borderline

I came into this movie not expecting much. The lead actors are both second generation, so some pedigree at least has the power of their surnames to pull in the viewers.

But give it time, both Ray Nicholson and Samara Weaving delivered good performances, complete with facial expressions that really get you into the moment, plus casting images of their famous parents' roles, scarily so with Nicholson and his Joker-like grin at one point.

The story is good, the writing was ok, but the finished product was greater than the sum of the parts. For such a small cast, they had to gel well and they delivered a performance that fit this billing.

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.

Whatever you think this movie is going to be like, it's not. I'm gonna tell you right now, every twist you think this film will make... it doesn't. The best thing you could do is just go and blind, that's what I did because I like almost all of Samara Weaving's movies (well, her quirky horrors for sure).

Every time I thought this movie was gonna turn right it turns left. It has a style of its own, and that is definitely seen in the bits of dark comedy. It seems like a lot of other people did not like this movie for the exact reason that I did like it, it isn't a normal movie. This is just an enjoyable ride. You put it on you laugh it's fun, and along the way it has a great soundtrack. In fact the last song that closes out the movie was incredible.

Also, Ray Nicholson is really good in this role, and it wasn't until the movie ended that I read his name, and realized he's Jack Nicholson's son. So just go watch it.

Is this the best movie I've ever seen? Obviously not but it's fun. And at least it's not another remake! I don't get why some people are super low balling the rating for this. It's a solid 5/6, not a 2, or the 8s I've seen, but hopefully that counteracts the 2s. It's a fun dark comedy. Definitely silly at times but go with it and allow it to be silly. I thought the cast was good. Though it seems Samara is getting a bit type casted in these roles. Ray Nicholson looks just like his father but hes pretty good at playing crazy. This movie made me laugh and it was a good choice for a rainy weekend afternoon. Not everything has to be a masterpiece, this is original and paced well.

I love Samara Weaving, and I'm happy to see Alba Baptista gaining space in an international production, but not even that saved Borderline from being a frustrating experience. For 90 minutes, all I could think was: "what the hell is this?"

The film tries to be an eccentric thriller with touches of dark humor, but it completely fails to balance the genres. There's no tension, no coherence, not even a solid script. It's a mess of scenes crashing into each other, as if the story is always on the verge of making sense but then refuses to follow a logical path.

The biggest problem is this lack of focus. Borderline seems to want to be everything at once but never commits to anything. Some moments suggest an intense thriller, while others try to lean into absurd comedy, but nothing really works. The humor falls flat because it lacks timing and impact, and the suspense never actually builds up, making it hard to feel engaged in the story. When it finally seems to find its direction, it quickly loses itself again, as if it's afraid of taking itself too seriously.

That said, I can't deny that Samara Weaving and Ray Nicholson carry the film on their backs. She continues to showcase impressive versatility in her roles, and he delivers a fantastic performance that makes me believe he'll become a major force in the industry in the coming years.

Another positive is the soundtrack, which, while not enough to save the film, adds a few moments of atmosphere. But overall, Borderline is an experience that won't appeal to everyone. It had all the ingredients to be a fun and unpredictable thriller, but instead, it's an exercise in patience, kind of stupid and never quite sure of what it wants to be.