A daring, fresh and genuinely creepy indie achievement.
The Borderlands is a rare creation. It borrows much from earlier films, and yet it feels fresh and brings some brilliant new ideas to a well worn subgenre. It does this despite a tiny budget, simple camera techniques and cheap locations. I would therefore argue that this film could be taken as an example on how to ensnare an audience despite limited resources.
The first thing of note is the cast. There are only four significant performances in the entire film, and that is all that is needed. The four main actors are all great and come across as competent and capable. Each character works off the others beautifully, and there are some great themes and clever symbolism being portrayed through them. The breakout performance is undoubtedly Gordon Kennedy as Deacon, I hope he is able to get some more prominent roles in bigger productions after this. The acting is reinforced by a naturalistic and confident script, complimenting the rough found footage format the film uses. Despite the featherweight budget, the characters are perfectly developed and the story doe not feel restricted or small in scale, alluding to many complex and deep traits that would be impossible to otherwise portray with the small budget.
Next the horror elements. The film has a powerful sense of dread, which steadily builds throughout. It actually allows the audience to put themselves in the mind of the characters, a trait that only top tier horror can accomplish. The found footage approach allows for an intimacy with the characters which is usually prohibited in low-budget horror, this allows for the tension of the film to connect to the viewer at a personal level. The imagery is excellent too, creepy, violent and unnerving in ways that most films simply are not. The ending is also an example of a perfect payoff to a well formed atmosphere and is amongst the scariest scenes in recent film history.
Overall, the Borderlands is a triumph of low-fi horror and paranormal scares. In a world where crap like 'The Possession' can have millions thrown into their production, its nice to see a gem like this being made.
The first thing of note is the cast. There are only four significant performances in the entire film, and that is all that is needed. The four main actors are all great and come across as competent and capable. Each character works off the others beautifully, and there are some great themes and clever symbolism being portrayed through them. The breakout performance is undoubtedly Gordon Kennedy as Deacon, I hope he is able to get some more prominent roles in bigger productions after this. The acting is reinforced by a naturalistic and confident script, complimenting the rough found footage format the film uses. Despite the featherweight budget, the characters are perfectly developed and the story doe not feel restricted or small in scale, alluding to many complex and deep traits that would be impossible to otherwise portray with the small budget.
Next the horror elements. The film has a powerful sense of dread, which steadily builds throughout. It actually allows the audience to put themselves in the mind of the characters, a trait that only top tier horror can accomplish. The found footage approach allows for an intimacy with the characters which is usually prohibited in low-budget horror, this allows for the tension of the film to connect to the viewer at a personal level. The imagery is excellent too, creepy, violent and unnerving in ways that most films simply are not. The ending is also an example of a perfect payoff to a well formed atmosphere and is amongst the scariest scenes in recent film history.
Overall, the Borderlands is a triumph of low-fi horror and paranormal scares. In a world where crap like 'The Possession' can have millions thrown into their production, its nice to see a gem like this being made.
Originally posted 6/10/14 on IMDB.com, as part of HALLOWEEN HORROR REVIEWS 2014
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