A vagrant enters the lives of an arrogant upper-class family, turning their lives into a psychological nightmare in the process.A vagrant enters the lives of an arrogant upper-class family, turning their lives into a psychological nightmare in the process.A vagrant enters the lives of an arrogant upper-class family, turning their lives into a psychological nightmare in the process.
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Featured reviews
Borgman is queer piece of cinema, challenging right form the off with the opening scenes of pursuit which point in a certain direction, but be prepared for your feelings to change as the story progresses. Writer / director Alex van Warmerdam's film bars very few holds, and yet it does not sensationalise increasingly troubling and occasionally brutal events, presenting them in a frank and open way, inviting the viewer to judge the participants and their respective fates. You would do well to prepare yourself to feel little sympathy for any of the characters, and yet there is something compelling about the spartan direction and the economy of the performances that will hold your attention to the end. Jan Bijvoet as the titular Camiel Borgman and Hadewych Minis as Marina are stand-outs, and deserve to be seen by a wider audience. One possible conclusion is that Warmerdam's script presents a black-and-white position in reaching a verdict, but in reality there are Lynchian levels of grey and plenty of scope for interpretation over a glass of wine (or two) afterwards. Well worth seeking out for those of a less delicate sensibility.
I think it's better than parasite though. And more dark and twisted for sure.
Don't expect the movie to answer many (or any?) of your questions. There is a beginning that is not explained at all, which introduces us to our lead. We don't know him yet, so we have no idea what he's up to, why those people were "looking" for him. We might get it during the course of the movie, though still not entirely.
The acting is superb, even when you shake you head not getting why people would behave like that (there are a couple of deleted scenes, one that "explains" why the Nanny did something or reacted in a strange way after an encounter). It's strange to say the least, but that's intended. The world we dive into looks like the one we live in, but it isn't really. Still the horror feels real. Even if you don't see many things happening (explicitely), you will be confused by a lot of things. You'll either like that or loathe it. Which was exactly what the movie (maker) was aiming for ... Job well done then
The acting is superb, even when you shake you head not getting why people would behave like that (there are a couple of deleted scenes, one that "explains" why the Nanny did something or reacted in a strange way after an encounter). It's strange to say the least, but that's intended. The world we dive into looks like the one we live in, but it isn't really. Still the horror feels real. Even if you don't see many things happening (explicitely), you will be confused by a lot of things. You'll either like that or loathe it. Which was exactly what the movie (maker) was aiming for ... Job well done then
This film seemed to come out of nowhere, similar to the way Camille Borgman did. I am a long time fan of the horror/dark drama genre but a new member to IMDb. with that being said, I absolutely loved this film. I loved the darkness to Camille. What was with him living in the ground though? The movie never fell back on that fact nor did it have an explanation for it. I wouldn't say the viewing nature of this film is horror, but the concepts that the film holds are horror. The ideas are extremely dark and the violence is extreme. This is an atmospheric movie that sets quite the mood. It had me thinking about it for a few days after seeing it. It's one of the better movies I've seen this past year
One of the best films of the Philadelphia Film Festival, Borgman is a hilarious, darkly satirical, mysterious, sexy, fascinating, and surreal allegory for social upheaval.
In the beginning, there was armed men looking to kill underground hobos. We will never find out why they want to kill them or why the hobos are underground (or why the hobos have nice cellphones). One of them, Camiel Borgman, escapes and warns his friends. He washes himself at a gas station and begins wandering down an extremely affluent street with the intention of getting a proper bath in one of them, simply by asking at the front door. One house in particular strikes his fancy, and he begins a slow process of worming his way into the household and the lives of everyone who lives there.
But that's when things get REALLY strange.
This film is destined for hopefully a good deal of international attention in the art-house circuit due to its exceptional storytelling, unpredictability and very weird plot.
With the matter-of-fact way it presents absurd goings-on, it reminded me of Dogtooth a little.
In the beginning, there was armed men looking to kill underground hobos. We will never find out why they want to kill them or why the hobos are underground (or why the hobos have nice cellphones). One of them, Camiel Borgman, escapes and warns his friends. He washes himself at a gas station and begins wandering down an extremely affluent street with the intention of getting a proper bath in one of them, simply by asking at the front door. One house in particular strikes his fancy, and he begins a slow process of worming his way into the household and the lives of everyone who lives there.
But that's when things get REALLY strange.
This film is destined for hopefully a good deal of international attention in the art-house circuit due to its exceptional storytelling, unpredictability and very weird plot.
With the matter-of-fact way it presents absurd goings-on, it reminded me of Dogtooth a little.
Did you know
- TriviaAlthough never stated in the film, the behavior of Borgman closely resembles that of an "alp", a nightmare demon from German folklore.
- GoofsIn one of the first scenes when the kids go to bed, it's clearly bright outside and in the middle of the day. In the next scene it's night.
- Crazy creditsThe film opens with the caption: And they descended upon the earth to strengthen their ranks.
- ConnectionsFeatured in At the Movies: Cannes Film Festival 2013 (2013)
- SoundtracksLet's Call This
Written and performed by Thelonious Monk
Details
Box office
- Budget
- €3,100,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $57,474
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $5,317
- Jun 8, 2014
- Gross worldwide
- $1,052,010
- Runtime
- 1h 53m(113 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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