By the time Border reaches a climatic sex scene about halfway through its two hour runtime, something truly jarring happens — the sort of event that should remain unspoiled but, if typed out, would sound so bizarre to anyone that hasn’t seen the film. Yet, by the time the film actually reaches that scene, so many crazy plot developments have taken place that the moment of shock wares off quickly. And, somehow, the film manages to top that surprising moment just a few sequences later. Love it or hate it, Border is truly unlike anything you’ve ever seen before — and that’s not always a good thing.
Border tells the story of Tina (Eva Melander), a Swedish customs officer who, thanks to what she believes is an unusual chromosomal defect, has an unusual appearance and an uncanny ability to smell people’s emotions — specifically, fear, shame, and other negative feelings. This ability makes her particularly good at her job — so good, in fact, that she helps expose what appears to be a pedophilia ring, and begins working with investigators to catch all those involves in the heinous crimes.
But this is more than just a thriller; we observe that Tina is incredibly lonely in her personal life, and is looking to forge a more meaningful connection with those around her. This finally seems like a possibility when she meets Vore (Eero Milonoff), another person with a similar defect and supernatural ability, who seems deeply interested in her. Where their relationship goes from there… and how it ties in to her investigation… should go unspoiled. But the mystery and their romance take some wild turns, to say the least.
What starts as an unusual drama with hints of magical realism eventually transforms into a crass, hard-R fairy tale for grownups that mixes disturbing content and gross-out imagery, with a somewhat inspiring tale of self-empowerment sewn in for good measure. Credit where credit is due, this screenplay by director Ali Abbasi, Isabella Eklöf, and John Ajvide Lindqvist (who authored the short story that inspired the film), is a truly ambitious one. But these different elements being juggled don’t quite mesh well together, and while individual moments might soar, the pacing becomes frustrating as the runtime stretches on.
Tina’s investigation into the sexual predators in her area, for example, is a genuinely compelling subplot that is poorly implemented into the film at random moments. The whole subplot continuously stops and starts and, by the time it ties into the main narrative, it feels like such an afterthought that any surprise is too obvious, and any emotional impact is lost. Similarly, Tina’s relationship with Vore never works quite as well as the film thinks it does. Without venturing too far into spoiler territory: Vore comes off as increasingly unlikable with each new appearance, and any third-act revelations about him are practically telegraphed to the audience.
But, there is something undeniably absorbing about the film and its undying commitment to the strange and unusual. The film quietly establishes its own mythology and lore, while Abbasi and his co-writers make the wise decision to not hit the audience over the head with exposition. This leads to some moments that are definitely deeply uncomfortable at first — one, shall we say, birthing scene is particularly shocking — but they are, at the very least, original. The film’s aforementioned sex scene is also one of the most memorable in recent cinematic history, and some stunning makeup throughout the film makes the various creatures stand out in the genre.
But, really, the reason this movie works at all is Melander’s soulful performance. Working through layers of makeup and a rather muted persona, Melander sells the bizarre character beats and every weird task the script hands her. Tina is an incredibly likable character, who remains easy to root for throughout. But, more importantly, Melander brings the growth to the screen that the screenplay doesn’t do a good enough job of selling.
The script seems to suggest that Tina’s growth as a character begins once she meets Vore, but that relationship just doesn’t make sense since the former is such a lovable persona, and the latter is deeply off-putting. Melander doesn’t put any trust in their chemistry, however, and sells her growth entirely on the merits of her performance — naturally, this leads to more satisfying results.
Your reaction to Border will depend largely on your willingness to roll with the unusual content you’ll be exposed to. Some audience members reacted with gasps and disapproving sighs; other giggled with delight. It’s one of those rare movies that feels like an amalgamation of different genres and tones — fantasy, body horror, and erotic romance, to name a few — yet stands entirely on its own. Those with strong stomachs, and an interest in the unusual, will likely be entertained by this three-ring circus. But, the separate acts could have used more connective tissue.
Rating: 5/10
