Review: The Borderlands (2013)

Directed by: Elliot Goldner | 89 minutes | horror | Actors: Gordon Kennedy, Robin Hill, Aidan McArdle, Sarah Annis, Lee Arnold, Drew Casson, Peter Charlton, Marcus Cunningham, Patrick Godfrey, Kevin Johnson, Luke Neal

Can you still surprise in the now completely worn out found footage genre? No not anymore. Just about every idea has been implemented. That you can still do a few interesting things with the genre is proven by “The Borderlands”. Director Elliot Goldner combines humor with horror, resulting in an entertaining and exciting horror thriller.

In “The Borderlands”, a team of specialists investigates what is going on in a remote church in England. According to the local pastor, a miracle is going on, but the cynical Deacon (Gordon Kennedy) believes little of it. The technician Gray (Robin Hill) hired for this job is starting to have serious doubts. He thinks something supernatural is taking place. Father Mark Amidon (Aidan McArdle) is irritated. The clergyman is disturbed by the atheist technician and the unconventional Deacon.

For a long time, “The Borderlands” revolved around the interaction between the moody Deacon and the annoying and curious Gray. This duo is not so good at first, but gradually a cautious friendship develops. When the duo gets used to each other – Deacon loves the bottle and Gray is a flop, which collides – the dynamics are changed as Amidon makes an appearance. The relationships suddenly become sharp. The film portrays the verbal stabbing and because the protagonists also wear a headset (with camera), you can also hear telephone conversations at home. For example, Gray regularly tells his wife about the progress of the work. You thus get a bond with the characters. Because there is a camera on the heads of the main characters, you can see events from their field of view. At times, “The Borderlands” resembles a first person shooter, a game genre. It creates more involvement with the characters. Gray’s bullshit creates an airy atmosphere. The movie doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is refreshing.

This film will be exciting in the long run. When strange things happen in the church, the team investigates. It delivers a few chilling scenes and a fierce finale. Because you’ve grown to love the characters, events hit harder. Great thriller!