Border
Neon | Release Date: October 26, 2018
6.6
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 64 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
38
Mixed:
19
Negative:
7
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
9
Brent_MarchantOct 28, 2018
One of the best efforts at fusing multiple cinematic genres that I've ever seen. It's part crime drama, part fantasy, part horror flick, part offbeat love story and part noir thriller all rolled into one sumptuously filmed, deliciouslyOne of the best efforts at fusing multiple cinematic genres that I've ever seen. It's part crime drama, part fantasy, part horror flick, part offbeat love story and part noir thriller all rolled into one sumptuously filmed, deliciously unusual Swedish offering. This one will take you places you don't expect at seemingly every turn, holding your interest intently, because you're never sure where it's going to go next. Director Ali Abbasi serves up a sometimes-funny, sometimes-twisted, sometimes-sweet tale that keeps viewers guessing right up to the closing credits. The changes in mood definitely keep you on your toes, but in the end it's well worth it.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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7
fredericwoodOct 31, 2018
Outstanding film making. I'm impressed with many details of the film, particularly the atmosphere, the acting and the makeup. However, there is a strong Hollywood-like sensational tendency which is a turn-off to me.
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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6
amheretojudgeFeb 18, 2019
A Love Triangle.

Border Abbasi asks for a lot; fortunately "please" is not one of it. He gives a lot too. But then what he gives can be too much for sensitive ones. It's just not everyone's cup of tea. Poignancy will have a new definitionA Love Triangle.

Border

Abbasi asks for a lot; fortunately "please" is not one of it. He gives a lot too. But then what he gives can be too much for sensitive ones. It's just not everyone's cup of tea. Poignancy will have a new definition at the end of it as innocence gets peeled blatantly on screen. To balance the tone, he keeps his film thrive on its beauty. But this ongoing battle might leave the audience scarred for ever. Personally, I felt it challenging to go through this experience. Overwhelming it is, on both sides of the door, this romantic drama is a war that keeps scraping your wound. The only complaint in here could be his fantasy. Yes, it was asked for, but should it have been pathos to that scale?

What's worse above all, is that the mythology that it is set in, itself is gore. One often escapes into such tale to get lost in its unique wonder. But not here, his graphic vision tests you more than it teases you. As anticipated, such characters or content revolving around a bullied persona often fuels itself with fragile eye popping elements to lure you in. For instance, the textbook formula of igniting the spark between the lead couple, is often a series of incredibly adorable and mesmerizing elements that makes us root for them.

Don't get me wrong, it does make us root for them, but the procedure is a wee bit different, it bubbles up the raunchy wilderness among them that might scatter your heart into pieces and fix it back with temporary promises- and this is of the least inedible substance in the film. And now as far as the practicality of the world and society that we revolve around is concerned it is simply cringe worthy. Humanity,- if I dare call it- the exploration of it has been a bless and a curse.

Blessing for how honestly it conveys and a curse for how honestly it conveys. It felt more like documentary than it was cinematic. Tina- our protagonist- played by Eva Melander has done a fabulous work on foliating her performance through tiny meticulous notions of an animalistic nature. The way she keeps herself distant from everyone, the way she sniffs, her understanding of an innocent being afraid of her whether it be then babies or dogs, her performance is her awarenesses of the suit that she is covered under.

Vore, his love angle, portrayed by Eero Milonoff is equally good on supporting her where he doesn't get that wide a range. This chemistry is somewhat equivalent to- if I dare compare-Titanic. As in, a guy of his own set rules and laws enters into her calculative and well bordered lifestyle, invading through exhilarating new schemes ties the knot that she fails to unhook herself with; for a brief period. What was disappointing to me is that those schemes could have been more tantalizing. Border does differentiate the uniqueness of oneself, it asks for you to sit side by side comfortably, for hours, ages and lives.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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3
LegitSaltDec 9, 2018
I went into this with relatively high expectations, and to put it shortly I was thoroughly disappointed. I tend to enjoy indie films, especially foreign ones, and as this is an indie Swedish film, it seemed like it was trending in the rightI went into this with relatively high expectations, and to put it shortly I was thoroughly disappointed. I tend to enjoy indie films, especially foreign ones, and as this is an indie Swedish film, it seemed like it was trending in the right direction. Although the first act was quite decent and seemed like the movie held some potential, it was a downward spiral from there. The performances that were given by Eero Milonoff (Vore) and Eva Melander (Tina) were truly quite transformative and deserving of a better movie. The creature effects were also quite stunning, especially when compared to the unaltered appearances of the actors. This movie introduces many elements that are interesting, but it doesn't truly commit to any of them. By the movie's resolution, there were so many unresolved subplots, that I was more so confused than satiated. Noted, that this was less the kind of confusion that had me rethinking the movie than it was the variety wherein I was unsure of the validity of what I had just watched. When the end finally came, it felt long overdue, being as the prior scenes also felt like they could have provided resolution. The movie ground to a halt near the end, getting slower and slower, seeming like it should end, but never truly doing so, until the second fade to black. This movie's biggest flaw also seems to be its greatest praise, this being that it cannot commit to any genre or idea. Going in between a thriller, a drama, and a fairy tale (amongst other things), it certainly felt choppy. With unresolved plot elements and multiple endings, I wouldn't be surprised if this was an amalgamation of multiple other movies that didn't quite get proper funding. It certainly felt like something stitched together. I don't recommend this one, but if you are into alien/troll sex, maybe check this out, or don't.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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7
tonyGreenAug 25, 2021
Attractive and well made, Border really draws you in. Refreshingly, the film does not talk down to the audience but keeps engagement by hinting and nudging towards a series of conclusions. The ending however is a little disappointing and aAttractive and well made, Border really draws you in. Refreshingly, the film does not talk down to the audience but keeps engagement by hinting and nudging towards a series of conclusions. The ending however is a little disappointing and a bit distasteful.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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2
imthenoobApr 28, 2019
I appreciate the creativity that went into the project but that doesn't necessarily make it a good one. The film seemed to keep this grinding slow pace throughout and it never really picked up. And it never really stayed interesting either,I appreciate the creativity that went into the project but that doesn't necessarily make it a good one. The film seemed to keep this grinding slow pace throughout and it never really picked up. And it never really stayed interesting either, Either with the main plot or the other subplots featured.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
JLuis_001Dec 1, 2019
Often movie lovers like me ask and crave different things. Narratives that challenge us and that feel diverse or peculiar. Border is that.

The story deals with Tina, a strange customs worker with an appearance that goes without saying isOften movie lovers like me ask and crave different things. Narratives that challenge us and that feel diverse or peculiar. Border is that.

The story deals with Tina, a strange customs worker with an appearance that goes without saying is more than peculiar but that's not the only thing unique to her. She also has a special talent to detect contraband or when people hide something. Saying it like that sounds pretty simple but obviously it isn't.
To explain more would make it inevitable for me to release a few spoilers but it goes without saying that what follows is not an ordinary journey.

The plot is based on a short story by writer John Ajvide Lindqvist who also co-wrote the script. If you saw the movie or read the book of Let the Right One In, you will have a little idea of ​​the tone and atmosphere of this film and yet is more obscure and bizarre.
Perhaps what can be puzzling is its mix of genres and its narrative slowness but its unpredictability, the performances and its good production make it an option that falls outside the norm and is therefore so attractive.

This is a story with magic but its type of magic isn't probably the one you imagine.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
Bertaut1Mar 20, 2019
Supremely weird, but thought-provoking, even if a little morally ambiguous

Based on the short story by John Ajvide Lindqvist, written for the screen by Lindqvist, Ali Abbasi, and Isabella Eklöf, and directed by Abbasi, Gräns is aSupremely weird, but thought-provoking, even if a little morally ambiguous

Based on the short story by John Ajvide Lindqvist, written for the screen by Lindqvist, Ali Abbasi, and Isabella Eklöf, and directed by Abbasi, Gräns is a psychological drama, a study of loneliness, a romance, a body-horror, an investigation into what gives us our humanity, and a thriller. Set in a half-realist/half-fantastical milieu, no matter how fanciful the plot becomes, it remains always grounded in emotional realism. Problems include a subplot that feels disconnected from the main narrative, a ridiculous coincidence, a twist you can see a mile away, and a pronounced moral ambiguity that's difficult to parse. Nevertheless, this is unique filmmaking, raising all manner of questions about how we act towards the Other.

Tina (Eva Melander) is a customs officer with the ability to smell guilt. Suffering from deformities that give her a somewhat Neanderthal-like appearance, she is shocked to encounter Vore (Eero Milonoff), who has the same deformities. Although she smells something on him, she isn't sure what it is, and she lets him through customs. A few days later, he passes through again, this time volunteering to be searched. This leads to a shocking discovery, and the beginning of a strange relationship.

Given the fantastical components of the plot, one of the most interesting things about Gräns is how grounded in realism the aesthetic is. Indeed, o of the strongest elements of the film is how emotionally relatable Tina's arc is; the events may be fantastical, but the emotions are quotidian - loneliness, shyness, fear, love, disgust etc.

An important example of this is that Abbasi sets up a contrast between the forest which surrounds Tina's home and the rest of the locations. Presented as a somewhat magical place, whilst everything else is filmed with a cold palette of greys and washed out light blues and greens, the forest is shot with richer colours; the design elements are more imaginative; the camera work more fluid; even the sound design is more varied, suggesting the whole place is vibrantly alive, in stark contrast to the cold concrete and steel world seen elsewhere.

The film's opening scene establishes Tina's attraction to the animal world; as she gently handles a bug, before carefully placing it back into the grass. Later, there's a scene with a moose, another with a fox, and a scene in which she is rushing her neighbour to hospital to give birth but stops to let a family of deer cross the road. These scenes are shot by cinematographer Nadim Carlsen with a sense of wonder, and an almost ethereal quality, as far removed from the mundanity of the customs desk as you can get. For all her closeness to animals, however, Tina is equally as distant from humans, and is desperately lonely, in a society that judges based on appearance. On the other hand, Vore is introduced as a rebel against social norms; whereas Tina is ashamed of her differences, he is proud of his - seen most clearly at a buffet, where he takes all the smoked salmon, and then hungrily eats it with little concern for etiquette.

The film also probes what gives us our humanity, suggesting that in a world populated by humans lacking in humanity, maybe Tina and Vore are the most human characters, or certainly the most humane. Tied to this is the notion of finding one's tribe, and what kind of sacrifices and subversions of one's moral code, if any, are acceptable in that search. However, the film does end in an extremely morally ambiguous manner, and I've rarely come out of a movie with such a pronounced case of "what was the director trying to say with that?"

Elsewhere, a child porn subplot does little but detract from the main plot. I get that it's there to show us Tina's abilities and her moral code, but too much time is given to it without it ever being made to seem urgent or important. And when it is finally integrated into the main narrative, it happens with a plot twist so telegraphed, if you don't see it coming, you've never seen a movie before. Also, when we learn how the two plots connect, and when we backtrack to the start of the film, we find that the entire house of cards relies on a monumental movie coincidence.

These missteps aside, Gräns exposes the layers upon which our society is built, and is unafraid to suggest that exclusion has become a major facet of Western civilisation, an important topic at a time when there are increased calls for closed borders and increasingly irrational fears of the Other. The morality of the dénouement is a little questionable, but this is still a fine piece of work with a lot on its mind.… Expand
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8
frannorthstarMar 3, 2019
Slow difference …and then surprises sent this film into a different ‘Twilight Zone’ seen before one were reality never so poignant failed, throwing faith in humanity further into a darken pit where left to abuse ourselves further excepted ourSlow difference …and then surprises sent this film into a different ‘Twilight Zone’ seen before one were reality never so poignant failed, throwing faith in humanity further into a darken pit where left to abuse ourselves further excepted our faltering future.… Expand
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4
Mauro_LanariFeb 1, 2020
(Mauro Lanari)
In order to be truly unpredictable, Abbasi should not have had to direct the adaptation of a short story by the highly predictable Lindqvist, another who, like del Toro, talks about genetic freaks, body shaming, identity(Mauro Lanari)
In order to be truly unpredictable, Abbasi should not have had to direct the adaptation of a short story by the highly predictable Lindqvist, another who, like del Toro, talks about genetic freaks, body shaming, identity minorities and sexual diversities not with the realism of Browning, Herzog, Lynch but with the fantasy genre, therefore with the symbolism of the many Magneto against Xavier. In his case, of Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore to give himself a more artistic and authorial tone instead of mainstream for teenagers. And it's obvious that the result doesn't change.… Expand
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4
CapuchinosAug 11, 2019
Magical. Thrilling. Surprising. It explores the deepest of human emotions through fantastic storytelling. You will empathize with the characters and will be challenged by their actions. Highly moving film.
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8
DawdlingPoetNov 22, 2021
This is quite a dark film in tone. It struck a chord with me. Its about isolation, feeling out of place and being accepted for who you are. Its unsettling and quirky. Its hard to describe in any kind of detail. I think its worth seeing, definitely.
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