Borderland stars Rider Strong as Phil, a naïve young man who somewhat reluctantly agrees to go on a road trip to Mexico with his two best friends, Henry and Ed and ends up being kidnapped by ritualistic killers. As his friends try to save him, the gang all end up in deep trouble in a place between countries, where no one gives a damn what anyone does.
The film opens well and quickly sets the scene for what turned out to be an effective little grisly horror movie about the evil that lurks in unknown territory, where the police don’t seem to care what goes on, as long as it’s swept under the carpet.
The young cast are appealing and the baddies look the part, yet one can’t help but wonder why Sean Astin would agree to play a supporting character when he does little more than act like a thug for the short while he is present.
The effects work really was spectacular here with one particular sequence giving Hostel a run for its money. Elsewhere, there is many a lopped off limb and blood splatter aplenty to be found.
OVERALL SUMMARY
Borderland combines elements of many recent torture porn films with a fear of other countries, their cultures and religions to satisfying effect. It’s a tad too long at one hour and forty-five minutes but it’s another solid rental.
