Fair warning to those who are particularly adverse to spoilers, and I hope I’m not giving anything (at least, not too much) away by saying 2013 found footage horror film (really, are there any non-horror found footage films?) Borderlands ends in what may be my favorite closing line of any film. Heck, the IMDB page puts that line at the start of its quotes section, so just casually scrolling through the main page for the film will reveal this line (also, alas, which character says it). So, here goes. This is the time to bail if you don’t want to know this devastating concluding line before watching this picture. And that line is “You said it wasn’t real!”
Even just typing that line makes the hairs on my arm stand up. But then, the uninitiated would not know the full content of that exclamation. They won’t yet have heard it yelled with such despair, anguish and, perhaps worst of all, the feeling they’ve been betrayed. I only hope I can convince more people to give this movie a chance.
Gordon Kennedy stars as a priest who investigates reported miracles for the church. He is cynical and skeptical enough that I was surprised he was a priest. When the film opens, he is in Brazil, uncovering yet another faked miracle. He will later unburden himself to Robin Hill, where we will learn his debunking had tragic consequences on that occasion.
Now he is on a mission to investigate what happened at an ancient church deep in rural England. We will see video footage of that occurrence. During a routine baptism, the baby starts crying. Then the crucifix on the table starts moving and the bells start ringing. Funny, but I think my guess would have been they had experienced a minor earthquake, and I can’t recall if any characters here speculate it might have been that. What is interesting, however, is how that event is perceived in a new light upon consequent rewatchings. This is a film that definitely stands up to repeat viewings.
Joining Kennedy is Hill’s tech expert. One thing I find fascinating about this actor is that his day job is editing. Of particular note are the pictures he worked in that capacity on for Ben Wheatley, in particular Kill List, which is one of my favorite films. Honestly, I wouldn’t have suspected he was nothing more than a full-time actor, because he seems to have such a natural talent.
The rapport between Kennedy and Hill is amazing, and more than half of the experience of this film is simply their banter. Nearly every line of dialogue between them either advances the plot or is character development, but I like just as much the idle banter between the actors. I really like these characters—enough that I would gladly watch a movie that is just them hanging out together. There will eventually be a third member of this group, though this bureaucratic church official played by Aidan McArdle is little more than a killjoy.
Together, these three will investigate the strange happenings at the local parish. This church is of so little importance to the residents that, when Kenneth and Hill ask an old man for directions to there, he simply looks at them in a deeply bewildered way. As they drive off, Hill yells this parting shot: “Have fun with Edward Woodward!” This is a film that assumes (likely correctly) its audience will have seen The Wicker Man. Given that, it knows viewers will have certain expectations and will rise to meet some of those, while subverting others.
Things start pretty slowly, though there is a significant atmosphere of dread almost from the beginning. At night, mysterious look into the windows of the house the leads are staying in, as capture by cameras mounted in the ceiling corners the rooms. One night, somebody sets a live sheep on fire in the yard. An old journal of a long-deceased priest contains the disturbing line, “I fear I now serve a new master.”
Many found footage films unsuccessfully address the issue of why anybody would be filming all of what we were seeing. The explanation here was satisfactory to me. The many cameras employed by Hill are to capture any and all evidence they might need in case things go off the rails like how they did in Brazil. There are cameras installed around the house they’re staying in. There’s also GoPro (or similar) cams they wear a great deal of the time. At one point, I like how the filmmakers anticipate what could be a flaw in the integrity of the found footage conceit, having Hill casually mention he has installed signal repeaters in a certain key location.
Borderlands (retitled Final Prayer in the US) is one of the best found footage films I have seen. I highly recommend watching it on the new Second Sight blu-ray. Although this is a UK release, it is region free. Among the extras are a great interview with the leads, who turn out to have as good of a rapport in real life as their characters do in the film. I suspect this is the only movie ever made where the actors got along as well as these two.
Dir: Elliot Goldner
Starring Gordon Kennedy, Robin Hill
Watched on Second Sight UK blu-ray (region free)