Ali Abbasi’s fantastical genre (and gender) bending film follows the story of a border agent who uses her ability to sense or smell human emotions to catch smugglers—but when one man confounds her detection, she’s forced to confront a new, hidden reality. Based on a short story by LET THE RIGHT ONE IN author John Ajvide Lindqvist, BORDER conjures up memories of unsettling folk tales, suggesting a time when we were closer to the natural world and its odder anomalies, a world that now seems distant while feeling creepily familiar. BORDER is an eerie, unforgettable, and affecting work.
“This Swedish-Danish production blends supernatural folklore with contemporary social realism to create a universal parable about tribalism, racism and fear of the Other. While the dramatic premise shares some DNA with the superfreak allegories of the X-Men series, the naturalistic presentation has more in common with the downbeat grit of Nordic noir crime drama… As a timely yarn about the mistreatment of minorities, both in Sweden and worldwide, BORDER is rich in allegorical layers.” —Stephen Dalton, The Hollywood Reporter
“[A]n exciting, intelligent mix of romance, Nordic noir, social realism, and supernatural horror that defies and subverts genre conventions. Destined to be a cult classic, this absorbing second feature from Iran-born, Denmark-based director Ali Abbasi is based on a short story by LET THE RIGHT ONE IN author John Ajvide Lindqvist, whose oeuvre and fandom is comparable to that of Stephen King and Anne Rice.” —Alissa Simon, Variety
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