Borderline is a bonkers thriller starring Samara Weaving and Ray Nicholson. Paul (Nicholson, Novocaine) loves ultra-famous pop sensation Sofia (Weaving, Ready or Not). With the help of some friends, he breaks into her home with plans to marry her. Sofia not quite ready to tie the knot, however.
Weaving and Nicholson have proven themselves to be fantastic actors, and Borderline is another strong showing from the two. Sofia is oblivious to the world outside of her world. She borders on being a narcissist, but Weaving prevents the character from ever being unlikeable. She simply lives in a celebrity bubble.
Since Weaving brings a “normal” aspect to Sofia, it makes the moments when she steps away from being the world’s biggest celebrity easier to accept. You can believe she would take time to do puzzles. Her being able to hold her own against someone who is able to take down a trained security guard does stretch believeability, however.
Nicholson is the stand out of Borderline as the unpredictable Paul. He is equal parts scary and funny. Again, the character could be over the top and too much to handle. Nicholson reels things in just enough to make Paul engaging but also someone to worry about – and for. It is a shame that Nicholson and Weaving have so few scenes together.
This is probably the biggest issue. The film never takes as deep a dive as it should. Along with the little screen time shared by the two leads, Borderline never takes itself seriously enough. Paul’s motivations are mentioned in a throwaway line while Sofia is little more than a megastar who has a strong relationship with her bodyguard. None of the supporting characters leave an impression.
The tone is where this is most noticeable. There are some laugh out loud funny moments mixed with some darker moments that will garner a reaction. But everything is scattershot, leading to a movie that is more confusing than anything. Add in the fact that it deals with serious issues in a very callous manner and the end result is a fun watch with some major flaws.
Borderline is available on digital in the UK starting September 8.
