The Borderlands

Wow, what a great little film. I'd seen trailers for this quite a while ago and was waiting for this to come out on the big screen. However, it seems that this has just played at a few film festivals and then been released on DVD, so this film will pass quite a lot of viewers by, which is a huge shame.

The story concerns a Vatican team of investigators, conducting an investigation into a 12th (I think) century church in rural England. The local priest has reported supernatural goings on that he considers to be miracles, but these so called miracles soon turn out to be something far more unpleasant.

Most write ups of this film have focused on the fact that this is a found footage film. Please ignore this, as I find that this does the film a huge disservice. Found footage these days has mostly negative connotations, but The Borderlands effectively avoids the pitfalls of this most lazy of filming styles. There is very little time spent here watching empty rooms, or being confused by wildly shaky camera work. This is no half hearted causally thrown together film. Instead, this is an expertly crafted little film, with lots of great ideas and wonderful characters.

What surprised me the most about this film were the characters. The two central characters, Deacon and Gray, are the warm beating heart of this film. Watching their relationship develop from awkwardness and barely concealed disdain for one another to something much more akin to friendship was great. I had worried that Gray, who serves as the film's comic relief, would begin to grate after a while, but he serves effectively as our guide into the film's darkness, at first full of quips and digs aimed at everyone and everything around him, but he then becomes more serious and increasingly uncomfortable and alarmed as the situation spins out of control.

The religious aspect of this film also serves to add to the film's depth, with the religious characters serving as the skeptics and Gray, the only non religious member of the investigation team, being the most willing to believe. This, plus the dawning realisation that the supernatural elements at play here may be something altogether more malevolent and older even than Christianity, means that this is a very human film and one filled with chills and effective scares.

And then there's the end, and this goes back to my comment on the film's ideas. Wow! I loved the end to this film, although I have read comments from those who feel that this was out of keeping with the rest of the film. Without going into spoilers, I will say that the film's final section delves into altogether deeper and darker territory, but as long as you're paying attention, this is well built towards throughout the entire film. The film drip feeds in information and nods in the direction of what is a superbly original and downright horrible sting in the tail of this wonderful film.

No, it isn't the 'scariest film ever!!!!' as some of the critics have described it. But then again I'm not easily scared when it comes to this type of film. But it is a darkly creepy and nasty little film, with a great plot and nicely developed characters. And as such, I thoroughly enjoyed The Borderlands and would recommend it highly.

I gotta say, The Borderlands is actually very funny in places, they took a great risk tying together humour and scares but for some bizarre reason, it certainly works.

I fully enjoyed both elements of the film, and it's acted really, really well (and filmed the same). The tale follows some investigators sent by the Vatican to check out a claim by a local priest of a possession in an old church. One of the investigators isn't a religious man however, just a tech guy there to do all the video stuff etc. Hes the funny one, and I kinda felt the humour amplified the scares when they came. When it gets to a screaming sheep set on fire (yes really) it is quite shocking as it's unexpected. And from there it swings from light hearted banter (never forced) to heavy shocks. I enjoyed it, and thought I wouldn't. Definitely worth a watch.

Churches are said to be among the most haunted places on earth. There's something about the most holiest of edifices that is said to house the supernatural more than any other. "The Borderlands" is a take on this phenomenon in documentary-like footage. Paranormal investigators are sent to a rural church where an unexplainable incident occurred which was caught on camera. At first not much occurs with some of the group wanting to pack it in and leave. But shortly after events transpire to alter their perceptions leading to a downward spiral that sends everyone and everything crashing down into one infernal and bloody hell. The film keeps the frights raw and spare heightening the sense of realism with moving objects, disappearing apparitions, loud crashes, unholy sounds and eerie silences that permeate the sense of dread and fear. Credit to the actors with their flawless natural acting as they show how man is when faced with the unknown and highlighting the shallow and unpleasant nature of human interaction in the present. As with these kinds of film's the pace is slow-going made worse with a disappointing ending. While no classic "The Borderlands" is a good watch to get some of those thrills and chills up and going on cold rainy nights.

Good POV style horror with a great balance of realism and demonic supernaturalism with one of the most horrifying endings I can recall.

A superior found footage horror movie that is heavy on atmosphere rather than scares, and is all the more unsettling for it. A team of Vatican investigators is sent to the British countryside following reports of paranormal activity at a remote church. They encounter hostile locals who set fire to sheep as events start to take a darker turn, and they discover far too late that something much more sinister and ancient has been awakened.