The Borderlands was a film that I had seen on a number of lists of great horror films that few people had heard of, and it was often cited as one of the best found footage horror films. A few years ago I managed to find a copy, and thought that I'd give it a try, my household being fans of both horror and found footage. It quickly became one of our favourite horror films, and have since watched it pretty much every Halloween season. As such, when I heard that Second Sight were releasing a new Limited Edition Blu-ray release of the film I knew that I needed to check it out.
The Borderlands takes viewers to the sleepy English countryside, to a small town where nothing special really happens. However, a small, barely looked after church, has experienced what the priest is calling a miracle, as objects upon the altar began to move on their own. We join a trio of Vatican investigators as they travel to the small church to try and debunk what has happened. There's the sceptical priest Mark (Aidan McArdle), the agnostic techy Gray (Robin Hall), and the alcoholic and world weary investigator Deacon (Gordon Kennedy). Equipped with headcams to record their investigation, the three of them work together to find out what's going on in the church; and discover something that none of them could have ever expected.
Forgoing jump scares, The Borderlands is something of a slow-burn horror film, and for much of its run there's very little happening that you could actually call horror. The film takes its time, and lets you get to know the characters as they bond as a group, and begin to investigate what they're sure is a hoax. Many of the early scenes feature two of the leads, Deacon and Gray, as they hang out in their rental home, having a few beers, doing a jigsaw, and getting to know each other. The chemistry between the actors in these scenes are undeniable, and it's a huge part of the charm of the movie. There's a sense that the production was perhaps somewhat relaxed, and that much of the banter and joking between the two leads is largely improvised on set joking (this is confirmed in an interview included on the disc).
The film draws you in and gets you attached to the characters very easily, and as such, when the spooky stuff does start it almost takes you by surprise as you've forgotten that this is supposed to be a horror film. Like the characters, you've almost come to think that the events they're investigating must be a hoax, and that you're just there for a fun time. And this is one of the things that the film does wonderfully. This lulling into a false sense of security before it pulls the rug out from under you elevated the horror and makes it that much more disturbing. It feels real in the sense that the film has the frightening intersecting with the mundane in a way that makes your skin crawl and your stomach turn.
Perhaps the biggest thing about the film, and something that gets brought up almost every time it's mentioned, is the ending. I'm not going to go into what happens at the end of the film, as if you've never seen The Borderlands and haven't had it spoilt for you you definitely need to see it. It's the kind of ending that had me with my jaw hanging, and having to double check I was seeing what I was seeing, asking the others with me if it was really happening. It's unexpected, shocking, and absolutely stays with you. It's the kind of ending that makes you want to re-watch the film almost immediately; and because of this ending I'm sure that The Borderlands will continue to grow as a cult hit.
Alongside the movie, the new set comes packed with a host of enjoyable special features that fans of the movie are sure to enjoy. There's an archive Behind the Scenes featurette that has been on previous releases of the movie, but there's also some brand new features made just for the new Blu-ray. There's an interview with special effects artist Dan Marin, named 'Monster Goo', that goes into the work done for the film, but also includes a guide to making your own monster slime at home; something that I didn't know I wanted to do before seeing it explained to me. There's also an interview with producer Jennifer Handorf, who goes into the production of the movie, the adventures in filming underground, and how the film was given a different name in the US.
The two best features, however, as the interview with stars Robin Hill and Gordon Kennedy, and their audio commentary for the film. The interview, which takes place inside an old church that appeared in a small scene in the film, is a lot of fun, and the two stars slip back into their friendly banter and jokey relationship that their characters had on screen. The two of them are a lot of fun together, and their stories often lead to you chuckling along with them and wanting to hear more. Luckily, the commentary allows for this, and whilst watching through the film with the two of them telling jokes and funny stories does make the experience less frightening it absolutely makes it hugely enjoyable.
The Borderlands has very quickly become one of the horror films that I'll always recommend to people who haven't seen it. It's imaginative, enjoyable, and encourages multiple watch-throughs. This new release, which also comes with some art cards and a book filled with essays about the film, is perhaps the perfect edition of the movie. It has everything that a fan of the film could want, and I can't think of a good reason to not want it decorating your shelf.
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