To put it bluntly, Borrego doesn’t even rise to the level of mediocrity. If there are blockbusters, mainstream films, and B-level movies, Borrego forms its own category, well below. If, in fact, as Netflix advertises, this is the #3 Movie in the U.S. as of the date of this writing, what does that say about their offerings? No wonder folks are dropping their subscriptions in droves. I understand that novices must learn their craft somewhere, but Netflix need not buy them, nor foist them on unsuspecting viewers.
One needs a thesaurus for all the negative adjectives necessary to describe Borrego. So, I’ll flip and point out its sole worthwhile attribute. Borrego is Spanish for “God-forsaken country.” (Not really, it’s Spanish for “sheep.”) Some films entice you to visit with their gorgeous locales. Borrego is so barren, so unforgiving, that we don’t see any snakes or scorpions. Or, maybe the budget was so sparse, they couldn’t afford any. When was the last time you saw a desert survival film without snakes and scorpions. For that matter, where were the sheep? Although the primary industry in Borrego Springs is tourism, this flick will not be shown at the Borrego Springs Chamber of Commerce headquarters anytime soon.
The budget for Borrego required three pickups, three motorcycles, three handguns, a damaged ultralight, and a desert. If Netflix paid for actors and writers, they got robbed. I give this “movie” 1.0 Gavel and it receives a well-deserved 23% Rotten Tomatoes rating with a 5.5/10 IMDb score.
Plot
Alone in the desert, botanist Elly sees a plane fall from the sky. Hurrying to the scene of the crash, she finds pilot Tomas injured surrounded by packages of fentanyl. Lost, he takes her hostage to get him to his destination at the Salton Sea, some fifty miles away. Already killing one pilot for failing him, Guillermo begins his search after Tomas fails to appear at the landing zone. Meanwhile, Deputy Sheriff Jose Gomez and daughter, Alex, begin their search for Elly. When paths cross, there will be bloodshed.
Actors
After not seeing Lucy Hale in Truth or Dare or Fantasy Island, we see her twice in a month in The Hating Game and now, Borrego. Nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress in Fantasy Island, she might get another here, that is, if anyone really watches this abomination. Like Ms. Hale, the rest of the cast should hope no one sees the film. All are stiff and wooden.
Final Thoughts
“Sometimes when the ‘monster’ comes for you, you have to say “yes.'” Should we feel sorry for the drug distribution networkers? It’s hard to work up much sympathy for Guillermo after killing three, shooting a cop, and on his way to shooting two more.
“Examining drug culture along the Mexican border with minimal insight or suspense, this contrived thriller becomes lost in the desert, like its characters.” Cinemalogue
“Borrego, written and directed by Jesse Harris, is misguided and fails to be thought-provoking or contemplative on the matters it seems to be about.” Screen Rant
Harris apparently couldn’t figure how to give this film a proper ending so we get left out in the desert. Given the rest of the film, that was inevitable.
