Borderland
Momentum Pictures
There have been numerous collage road trip films, but Borderland is one with a difference. When three Texas University students travel to Mexico on the eve of their graduation for a weekend of naughtiness, they do not expect to be thrown into a world of paranoia, death and dread when they run into a drug dealing Mexican cult who practice human sacrifice…and this is based on actual events!
Borderland is for fans of films such as Saw and Hostel, where people are tortured for fun. The opening ten minutes are in Spanish with English subtitles which is a little tedious, but well worth staying tuned for the upcoming terror. A night of drink and drugs lead the students into a gangster world where the leader is treated like the Godfather. His actions and those associated with him are horrendous with individuals being brutally murdered with machetes, left screaming as eye balls are cut out and their limbs slashed off in some sort of sadistic ritual to keep their drug dealings hidden and safe from the outside world. At times your stomach is left wrenching, as their actions get so vicious.
The actors involved with this film are brave to take on such roles. Rider Strong is the main man brutalised and there is sheer terror on his face throughout his ordeal, making his experience more realistic. Alongside him are Jake Muxwothy and Brian Presley as his friends also terrorised by the experience but it is Sean Astin who is the biggest of shocks. Forget his previous roles such as Mikey in the Goonies and Samwise Gamgee in Lord of the Rings, here he takes on a nasty and very nauseating persona; he has seen MUCH better days.
Borderland is not for individuals with a nervous disposition but a must see for anyone with a fondness for fear and is available on DVD 15th February 2010.
Michelle Moore