I’m far from the first person to observe that modern Hollywood is defined by nostalgia. Still, one under-discussed side effect of the huge film franchise race is how it’s also impacted the types of non-IP-driven, standalone projects being made. Original movies have become an increasingly rare commodity — to the point that whenever one comes around, there is always an urgency amongst cinephiles to support original stories at the box office. While well-intentioned, this open-air approach to film positivity has a fatal flaw: What happens when the “original” movies being served to audiences lack true originality?
For every successful original Hollywood production, there are dozens of empty imitators: movies that are so caught up in recapturing the magic of other projects that they fail to create an identity of their own. Unfortunately for Borderline (2025), the so-called “twisted” feature directorial debut from Jimmy Warden (writer of Cocaine Bear), the film is a prime example of the ladder. While Warden appears to be a confident visual storyteller, Borderline bites off more than it can chew and accomplishes very little. It’s a mishmash of unfulfilled genre elements: a home invasion plot with little tension, a psychological thriller that fails to thrill, a comedy that falls flat, and at worst, a movie uninterested in reaching its full potential.
Borderline follows Paul Duerson (Ray Nicholson, Smile 2), a dangerous and unpredictable stalker in 1990s Los Angeles who breaks into the mansion home of pop star Sofia (Samara Weaving, Ready or Not). This time, Paul plans to hold Sofia hostage and force her into marriage. Chaos ensues as Sofia’s bodyguard, Bell (Eric Dane, Euphoria), and her athlete boyfriend, Rhodes (Jimmie Fails, The Last Black Man in San Francisco), complicate Paul’s meticulous plan. Though the story seems simplistic and promising enough at first sight, Borderline unfortunately wastes a lot of its potential.
Despite being a 90-minute film, Borderline is strangely bloated, lacking focus and narrative balance. The story is presented through multiple characters and perspectives, culminating in a finale in which they all intersect. Borderline is not shy about homaging what it owes to the VHS era of cult movies — to the point of its own detriment. The non-linear structure of Jimmy Warden’s script takes clear inspiration from the works of Quentin Tarantino, but it lacks a strong sense of pace and characterization that makes that kind of storytelling pop. Instead, Borderline’s characters are static and often quite passive — pieces in a story that are being moved from place to place rather than making their own choices.
Regardless of the weak screenplay, the cast of Borderline is strong and doing their best to elevate the material. Samara Weaving has earned her “scream queen” status for a reason. She’s always compelling to watch as she fights her way out of fatal situations, and Weaving brings that vulnerability and strength to Sofia here. Jimmie Fails has a good sense of humor to compensate for the lack of depth. However, the script fails to give Ray Nicholson a proper vehicle to go truly crazy. Jimmy Warden shows strength as a director who has full confidence in his talent to carry the narrative. Still, where Nicholson brings mania and excitement, the film fails to match with unconventional style and intrigue.
There is a glaring oversight in Borderline that especially sticks out given the number of pop star-centric genre movies released (Smile 2, Trap, Opus, or the upcoming Mother Mary). Though Sofia is a ‘90s pop star, Borderline shows an extreme amount of disinterest in portraying that career or the period at large. There is no specificity to this narrative; being a pop star only superficially informs Sofia as a character, her relationships, and the plot itself. There is no attempt at showcasing what kind of pop star she is, no original songs that try to emulate that specific aesthetic, or even interesting costumes that inform the audience of her persona.
Borderline feels like a significant wasted opportunity, especially given that the crazed superfan and pop star alter ego is a relationship widely explored in better projects. As a directorial debut, there is always an expected amount of rough edges and lack of polish, but Borderline is an unsuccessful endeavor because it aims to do so much and accomplishes very little in its short runtime. To writer-director Jimmy Warden’s credit, he has a lot of experience working with actors and dialing their performances, and some impressive visual moments prove his skill as a visual storyteller. Yet, Borderline fails to make much of an impression before reminding you what it owes to much better movies.
Borderline is now playing in theaters!
Release Date: March 14, 2025.
Directed by Jimmy Warden.
Written by Jimmy Warden.
Produced by Tom Ackerley, Josey McNamara, Hadeel Reda, & Brian Duffield.
Executive Producers: Margot Robbie, William G. Santor, Mimi Steinbauer, Shawn Williamson, Colleen Camp, Andrew Chang-Sang, John Hills, Petra Holtorf-Stratton, & Jameson Parker.
Main Cast: Samara Weaving, Ray Nicholson, Eric Dane, Alba Baptista, & Jimmie Fails.
Cinematographer: Michael Alden Lloyd.
Composer: Mondo Boys.
Production Companies: LuckyChap Entertainment & Productivity Media.
Distributor: Magnet Releasing.
Runtime: 94 minutes.
Rated R.
