Borderline Synopsis: A helplessly romantic sociopath escapes from a mental institution and invades the home of a ’90s pop superstar. He just wants to be loved; she just wants to survive.
Set against the backdrop of 1990s Los Angeles, Borderline follows Sofia, a pop star turned actress, who is dealing with an obsessive stalker named Paul Duerson. Paul believes that he and Sofia are engaged. When he shows up at Sofia’s house, her bodyguard, Bell, tries to escort him away. However, Paul mistakenly thinks Bell is Sofia and threatens to kill himself. In a violent turn, he stabs Bell instead. After wandering through Sofia’s house in an excited state, Paul calls the police and turns himself in.
I went into this movie with high hopes. Samara Weaving has solidified herself as one of my favorite actresses in horror, and Ray Nicholson is steadily carving out his own path as an actor while still bringing his father’s uncanny Cheshire grin and unsettling gaze to life. Pair them together in a dark comedy about a home invasion and a delusional fan, and you’ve got my full attention. Sadly, Borderline didn’t exactly live up to my expectations.
Directed by Jimmy Warden—known for writing Cocaine Bear and The Babysitter—Borderline struggles with tonal inconsistency. Striking the right balance between comedy and horror is crucial, but the blending of the two in this film felt jarring. I was left unsure whether I should be scared or amused. The only time I felt the right mix of both emotions was during Nicholson’s performance.
His portrayal of Duerson was the highlight of the film for me. His character provides the movie’s genuine laughs, as he is a man convinced that he is meant to marry Sofia, even mistaking two grown men for her. While he cheerfully plans their wedding, there’s a lingering sense that he could snap and cause harm, creating a precarious situation that keeps you engaged in his next move.
Sofia, played by Weaving, remains remarkably calm throughout the chaos, whether she’s handling Paul’s delusions or fighting to the death with his Harley Quinn-esque sidekick, Penny (Alba Baptista). Sofia and Penny’s interactions provide an amusing yet unsettling musical number when Penny discovers Sofia’s piano and begins to belt out a powerful Celine Dion number. It’s really the only time we see Sofia emote beyond mild bewilderment at her circumstances. It’s possible this was simply Sofia’s character, but she felt severely underwritten to me, which is a shame.
Sofia’s PR boyfriend, Devante Rhodes (Jimmie Fails), offers an outside perspective on the situation, but unfortunately, he is largely underused and comes off as superfluous to the plot. This was one of the reasons Borderline didn’t resonate with me. There seems to be a fun horror-comedy waiting to emerge, but much of the script feels uneven and incomplete. Characters are either underdeveloped or unnecessary, and the humor often disrupts the tension rather than enhancing it. Consequently, there’s very little to fear here, which is disappointing.
Borderline is a campy, incoherent psychological thriller bolstered by Ray Nicholson’s delightfully deranged performance and a nostalgic soundtrack for anyone who grew up in the ’90s. It may be worth watching for Nicholson alone, but don’t go in expecting much.
Watched: 03/29/2025
Notable Song: Borderline by The Flaming Lips with Stardeath and White Dwarfs
