Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Borderland’

Written by Scott Edwards

Taking a break before having a life changing event is great advice for everyone. Getting away from your troubles for a day, a week, a year could be an incredibly refreshing event. Keeping your mind off of everything that is important to you in the real world is really one of the best reasons to take a vacation and just get away. Most of the time, when you return, your batteries are re-charged and you are ready to take on life once again.

Three friends are looking to get away before running back to college for their next semester. Thinking that anything goes down in Mexico, that is their next destination. Wanting to drink, smoke and not have any other care in the world, the three start their road trip and find exactly what they are looking for. Letting themselves go, they find that a local strip club has more to offer than expected, since two of the three find love.

Henry is disappointed in his friends for falling in love so quickly but makes sure that it will not calm his vacation buzz. Taking his friends and two ladies out, the group settles in and takes some hallucinogens to enhance the nightly experience. Walking back to his new lady friend’s apartment, Phil is approached by a man just looking for a light for his cigarette. Seeing that Phil is still under the influence of something, he is kidnapped and taken to a powerful cartel member's home. 

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​Phil is missing and his friends are trying to find him but are not able to speak Spanish fluently enough to get any answers. Working with Ed’s new squeeze, Valeria, to get answers, they find out that their friend has been taken by Santillan, a very powerful drug runner who will stop at nothing to accomplish his goals. Believing in the dark arts, Santillan believes that sacrifices have to be made to the gods to help protect his shipments up to the states. Finding that the latest sacrifices have not produced the desired effect, an American may be the only way to appease the gods for his benefit. 

Borderland follows three friends as they try to unwind and get away from reality for a while by visiting Mexico. Being a perfect target for a Mexican cartel leader, one man is taken and has his friends try their best to find him, and they quickly find that the lack of laws they were looking for is no longer in their favor. When the name Santillan is mentioned to any of the local villagers, they all become quiet and hesitant to talk, but if they do open their mouths, they are met with vengeance from the cartel. Being told to go home and see if the American government would help them, the two friends join forces with a retired police officer that has a score to settle with Santillan. 

Just a downright thriller that will keep you hoping that the poor Americans are able to escape the confines of Mexico and return home. With one of the strongest cartel leaders in the country against them, they are unable to know who to trust while their friend is scheduled to meet his untimely fate. Not being able to trust or even get help from the local authorities may be one of the scariest parts of this movie, along with Santillan, a well-spoken and extremely calm leader that believes that magic can protect his livelihood. This is a movie that will make you think twice about where you choose to visit for a quick getaway. Stay Scared.

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