Bordertown: Bette Davis is doing way too much heavy lifting here

Is this thing worth your time?

If you like old black-and-white dramas where everyone is constantly sweating and yelling about their "honor," sure, give it a go. If you need a movie that makes sense or doesn't feel like it’s glued together with scotch tape, skip it.

It’s the kind of flick that feels like it was filmed in a fever dream. People are constantly walking into rooms to deliver lines that sound like they were written on a napkin five minutes before the cameras rolled.

The vibe is... dusty

Paul Muni is playing this lawyer who just loses his mind over every little thing. It’s exhausting to watch him pace around. He has this way of staring at people that’s supposed to be intimidating but mostly just makes me wonder if he’s trying to remember where he parked his car. Maybe he just needs a nap.

Then there’s Bette Davis. She’s the only reason this thing has any pulse at all. She plays the wife, and she’s bored out of her mind. You can tell she’s the only person on set who actually read the script beforehand.

Odd little things I noticed

• There is a scene in the casino that goes on for about three years. Or maybe it was three minutes. It feels like an eternity.
• The background extras in the casino scenes look like they were pulled off the street and told to just pretend they were having a great time. Nobody looks like they are actually gambling.
• The lighting in the office scenes is so harsh I think I got a tan just looking at the screen.

It’s funny to compare this to something like Transgression, which has a similar "let's ruin our lives for love" energy but feels a bit more put together. In Bordertown, the plot just sort of gives up halfway through. It stops caring about the legal drama and decides to become a weird, moody soap opera.

There is a moment near the end where a character turns around and just leaves the room, and I swear the camera operator forgot to follow them for a second. It’s that kind of movie. Sloppy, but weirdly charming in how little it cares about being perfect.

If you’re looking for a masterpiece, look elsewhere. If you want to watch some old-school actors flail around in the desert heat, you’ve found your match. 🌵

I don't think I'll watch it again, but I'm not mad that I did. It’s just... there. Like an old piece of furniture you keep around because you don't have the energy to move it to the curb.