🎬 #174 Fantasy In Reality.

Just one film this week that takes the fantastical and makes it absolutely believable.

Happy viewing,

Bry

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FILM: BORDER

1993 Dir Ali Abbasi
1 hr 50 mins

The director behind ‘The Apprentice’ started with this special film that blends thriller, fairytale, coming of age and body horror into an unforgettably unique story based in the world of folklore.

What I enjoyed about this film is that it is challenging. It is confronting to the audience, and it is an amazing blend, an unusual blend of many different genres that asks a lot of the viewer.

Tina, the main character's face is different, and she's always been self-conscious about her appearance. The subtle changes to her face and the prosthetics don't hinder the performance; they make it more vivid. As we discover more and more about Tina and she discovers more about herself, we're confronted with the idea that her identity isn't what it seemed, and it challenges her to think about what it means to be human.

And as we go deeper and deeper into the criminal underbelly that Tina discovers through her unique abilities - we get a glimpse into what is really going on at the centre of this folklore horror. I really recommend giving this film a chance. You can see how great of a filmmaker Ali is, in this, his second outing as a feature film director.

*Available for a small rental fee on Apple in the US and UK.

Fact: Aubrey Plaza was such a fan of the film that she asked the filmmakers if she could host a screening - a few minutes before it was set to begin she was told that the film hadn’t arrived. She delayed for a while before the theatre manager announced it had arrived. More delays happened - until they were told it actually hadn’t arrived. So they played Suspiria, then until halfway through, the projection stopped and Border finally played.

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