Operating on the "Border" Between Being Happy and Unhappy I Saw This Movie

Hi everyone!

Before 2018 ends, I'm hoping to sneak in a few quick posts to satisfy one of my lingering and as-yet-unfulfilled resolutions for this year.

Commence!

I recently saw "Border" (2018; Swedish title "Gräns"), and I'd like to tell you about it.

I was drawn to "Border" because: 

a) it's a Swedish film and I like those, and
b) it looked like a weird movie and I like those, and
c) it had very good ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, and finally
d) it was showing at one of my very favorite movie theaters in New Home and I hadn't gotten to go there since we moved, so obviously that was an emergency that needed to be immediately resolved.

Having now seen the movie, I can attest that it satisfies on these counts: it is a Swedish movie, it was at one of my favorite theaters, and I can see why it got positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes because it is definitely very weird.

At the end of the film, I had a feeling very similar to how I felt at the conclusion of "Sorry to Bother You" (2018): I am glad I saw "Border" and I'm glad it was made, but I also felt decidedly unsettled and like I needed a mental palette cleanser before heading to bed.

I do think it's worthwhile to see this movie.  Without getting too deep into spoilers (but still: spoilers alert), like "Sorry to Bother You," "Border" is its own version of a societal commentary told through reality blended with fantasy.  As a person with Swedish heritage, I was particularly interested in the utilization of Swedish folklore to construct the film's commentary, and embarked on a deep Wikipedia dive to follow up on some of the topics touched upon.  Had "Border" dwelt solely on these themes, it could have been a still-unsettling but really thought-provoking exploration of histories of attempted extermination of native peoples that would have powerful echoes in American and global audiences.  However, the film veers somewhat tangentially into ever darker territory, unfortunately muddying the waters of an already sufficiently interesting allegory.

So, while I recommend this movie, I don't think I can give it as high a rating as "Sorry to Bother You," which was excitingly weird and inventive and still managed to stick to its important central themes. 

I gave "Border" a 3.5.

{Heart}