Review BORDERLAND (2007)

On May 6^th, 1989, Adolfo Constanzo – serial killer, drug dealer and cult leader – committed suicide in order to avoid capture by the police. He was 26. In 2007, a film loosely based on his exploits was released: Borderland.

Two Mexico City cops, Ulises (Damian Alcazar) and his partner, break into the compound of a strange cult. Ulises’ partner is killed while Ulises is allowed to live. Fast forward a year later to Galveston, Texas. Henry, Eddie and Phil (Jake Muxworthy, Brian Presley and Rider Strong) decide to take a trip to the US/Mexican border before heading off to college. While there, Phil gets abducted by a strange cult led by Santillan (Beto Cuevas) and is to be used as a sacrifice. Now, Eddie and Henry, with the help of Ulises, have to break into the cult’s compound and get Phil back before it’s too late…

Going into Borderland, I didn’t expect much. When the credits rolled, I was surprised that I’d seen a pretty engaging little horror flick. Now, Borderland ain’t gonna be blowin’ any doors off, but I’ll be damned if co-writer/director Zev Berman didn’t craft a worthy entry in the horror genre. And though the film has a near two-hour runtime, it didn’t feel like that at all.

What was most surprising about the flick is how engaging I found the characters to be. Normally, cardboard cutouts are the order of the day. Borderland, however, gives us characters who are actually worth rooting for and each have their own distinct personality. I was pissed when certain characters bit the dust and overjoyed when certain baddies were dispatched. Hell, I even found myself wanting some characters to survive.

And fret not gorehounds, Borderland has you covered there as well. While the flick isn’t splatterific, there are plenty of scenes of carnage to keep those looking for the glorious red stuff entertained. And the best part of all? It is all done with practical effects (if there was any CGI in there, I was unable to detect it).

About the only complaint I have is the ending as it seems that the filmmakers either ran out of steam or money. I hoped I’d actually get to see some closure, not just have the movie tell me what happened. But, whatever, it’s still worth checking out.

Final Thoughts:

Borderland is a surprisingly enjoyable effort. While the ending is a bit weak, the rest of the flick is solid and definitely worth your time. Check it out, and don’t get in a car with strangers – especially in a foreign land…