Sandman's Screaming Room: Borderland

BORDERLAND
Directed by Zev Berman

This was the first of After Dark's Horrorfest 2007 that I went to see. I kind of wish I hadn't. Not that the movie is bad, quite the opposite in fact. Most of the other films are not going to be anywhere near as smart and intense as this effort.

3 college buddies decide to take a road trip to the border of Mexico to enjoy the local women, beer, and culture. There, 2 of them meet women that they fall for, and so far, this movie is playing out like a coming of age drama, especially with the presence of Rider Strong as one of the 3. If not for a particularly graphic pre-credits sequence, onemight think that they have wandered into the wrong theater.

Long story short, one of the three gets kidnapped by members of a drug dealing cult. In order to help them sneak past the border patrol, they kidnap people and sacrifice them to their 'gods'.
So now, the two remaining friends try to convince the local police that their friend has disappeared. Once they find out what has happened to him, and that he is still alive for the time being, they must make a choice. Should they resuce their friend in a suicidal attack on the cult? Should they leave and tell the FBI, knowing that it will most likely be too late? Or should they just leave?

Most movies like this tend to be mentally handicapped excersises in gore and violence for their own sakes. So it's weird to see this one, which looks and sounds like an exploitationfilm, but focuses more on the characters than the gore.
Because each of the three have distinct personalities, we feel for them. We sympathize withtheir dilemma. There is a palpable sense of isolation, even tho they are in a little town with people everywhere. Yet, they are alone.

As for villains, we get a solid trio, each scary in his own way. First, we get a bald henchman, who looks like a Hispanic version of Michael Berryman. Then, we have Randall, played by Sean Astinplaying so far against type he has an almost impossible task of making his character a monster. He's such a likeable guy, and we are used to seeing him playing likeable characters. Randall, however, is complete scum, and Astin plays him perfectly. The third villain is the leader of the cult, and he is something else. He is charismatic, dangerous, and pure evil. He fits the role of cult leader perfectly, and menace drips off of him in every scene.

The third act, when everything really starts to get violent, is handled well, never crossing into gratuitous territory. The final showdown, as it unfolds, is amazingly intense.

For those that don't know, this film is based on a true story. The director was a college student whenthe events unfolded. Maybe the fact that these events seeped into his everyday life allow him to explorethe event without exploiting it for cheap scares. I don't know. What I do know, is that this is a solid film, and recommended for fans of gripping, intense horror films.