Nostalgia is the greatest drug ever. More stronger than caffeine, more addictive than nicotine- the single greatest drug beloved by all. To look back in time with rose-tinted glasses and say, the good ole days. A  fix that erodes all the pain and trauma that was experienced. Nostalgia, as the sole template to your story always leads to a self-fulfilled prophecy of disillusionment.  For even the colloquialism in a nostalgia story is moot, defeating its purpose. It is the same self-fulfilled prophecy of disillusionment is in play when the husband directs his wife in a film.  Borderline has both, and a massive identity problem.

Directed and written by Jimmy Warden, the screenwriter of “Cocaine Bear”, Borderline is about a delusional psychopath named Paul Duerson, played by Ray Nicholson, (Novocaine) who escape the asylum with a psychopath muse named Penny ( a little too much like Joker and Harley Quinn for me) breaks in pop star Sofia’s home to wreak havoc and marry her, ( a little too much like Beetlejuice). Celebrity-stalker, home invasion- black comedy slasher. All the ingredients are there for a “Ready or Not” akin , but it’s a complete mess with no rhythm, or beat.  Throwing psychopaths in doing psychopathic things in a story is not comedy by itself, nor is throwing blood and stabbing in a story is not a slasher by itself.  You would think  with a film titled Borderline you would set up more clear perimeters to your story. Warden does provide some intriguing bits to the script, but for most of the time it is rambling, for rambling sake, and the straight forward starch camera work isn’t helping either. There is a great lost opportunity in this for more Eric Dane, and Jimmie Fails. Each doing great for what was given to them. 

Ray Nicholson stock should rise after this. His slow emergence to film seems to be paying off. This is a great beacon to shine a light on his performances. I looking forward to see what he will be in next. Borderline will probably be most remembered as one of the springboards to his career. It also codifies that Samara Weaving is up for anything.  If even, it is a passion project love letter from her husband.