As the saying goes, love is blind… but so is madness?!?

From the writer of Cocaine Bear comes a deliciously outrageous film about toxic fandom, popular culture and obsession to the nth degree. Borderline begins by presenting its story from our antihero’s perspective, as Paul (sadistically depicted by Ray Nicholson) tells the tale as an unreliable narrator, who jumps through just about every possible hurdle to spend the rest of his life with pop-star Sofia (Samara Weaving). His never-ending quest will either end in blissful matrimony, or at least he’ll die trying.

“Don’t be mad at me, ladybug.”

When it comes to out-of-touch characters who have totally escaped reality (as well as prison), Paul and his assistant, Penny (Alba Baptista), pack a powerful one-two punch to the storyline. However, while being mentally unstable, their misadventures perfectly coincide with our final girl, Sofia, who’s equally living in a fantasy world as a celebrity. This becomes apparent as her superstar athlete boyfriend, Rhodes (Jimmie Fails), makes her painfully aware. Each of these characters reveal, in their own ways, that traumas can unite people. Especially when there’s a psychopath (or three) on the lam.

I don’t know how many times I’ll proclaim to be surprised by Nicholson’s terrific performance for the first time, as he’s been great in his appearances from Licorice Pizza, Smile 2 and Novocaine, from what I’ve seen. I just keep forgetting his previous works. And it’s probably a coincidence that Weaving has practically made a career out of getting chased around by killers on the big screen (Ash vs. Evil Dead, Ready or Not, Scream VI), but she’s pretty great here (with some incredibly expressive reactions without a word to be spoken). These actors pair well, as good and evil.

Another incredibly effective tool at bringing this twisted tale together is its use of music. The entire music department deserves major props as pop tunes get flipped, kinda like what Jordan Peele did with Linuz in Us. After watching this film (and listening closely to its soundtrack), you’ll never see Annie Lennox and Celine Dion in the same way. And The Flaming Lips’ cover (with Stardeath and White Dwarfs) of Madonna’s “Borderline” tops them all, in previous hit songs I didn’t know I needed in my favorite horror films.

I’ll admit I probably enjoyed Cocaine Bear more than I should have, when I originally saw the film while it was gaining viral attention, but I’ll never apologize for my tastes. They’re unique. They’re offbeat. I wouldn’t exactly call them mainstream, but from time to time, they are. And they are exclusive to me. But I will say that Writer-Director Jimmy Warden has created a story for the second time (out of the two releases that I’ve seen where he’s been credited as the writer) that I found myself surprised by how much I enjoyed them. That’s some good storytelling (and a good batting average, BTW). And to stretch that declaration, this film, along with Tapawingo, have both been enjoyable as I continue discovering more hidden gems of the awards season. In fact, A24 better step up its game, as Magnolia Pictures is making a strong case as my favorite movie distributor this year.

Release your inner traumas, but don’t go mad by taking a trip to the Borderline. And never forget:

“You should never go into business with friends.”