While I can say that I was somewhat fascinated by this small film, I can't honestly say that I completely understood all of it. The storyline listed here says it's about a border agent apprehending someone crossing the border that will haunt him forever, and that is true, but it's much more than that. It's a somewhat complex mystery about three border agents attempting to cover up the death of an illegal crossing the border and the repercussions they experience from that. While this is occurring, the primary border agent finds a man in his house who claims to be his father who he has never seen after being abandoned by him when young. However, this too is not exactly what it seems either. This is a mystery film, but it is also a supernatural film of some sort. It may in fact be the first supernatural film about illegal immigration. This is primarily about tying two events together, one in 1985 and one in 2023, and the price that needs to be paid for actions committed in that earlier year. The cinematography is very good as is the lead actor, a sympathetic border agent portrayed by Roberto Urbina. The rest of the actors do well too, but most of this rests on his shoulders and he handles it quite well. A compelling, complicated and always interesting film that film that more people should see.
4 Reviews
Intrigue at the southern border.
evening11 April 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Having just spent several days in San Antonio, I was happy to see a film about our troubled southern border on my flight back to New York City.
"Deadland" is several things, including a gripping thriller, a murder mystery, a relationship film, and a story with supernatural/spiritual elements.
Because it aims so high, it falters in terms of being easy to understand, but there is much here to think about, along with uniformly excellent performances.
My best guess is that this is a story about karma. In 1985, two border-patrol agents kill a migrant who is injured in a border stream.
This migrant was trying to get back to his wife in El Paso and the son he'd named Angel.
Forty years later, both young and older versions of the murdered migrant return -- to visit the gravesite of his beloved wife, to reconnect with the son he never got to raise, and to seek retribution for his own death.
"Deadland" is several things, including a gripping thriller, a murder mystery, a relationship film, and a story with supernatural/spiritual elements.
Because it aims so high, it falters in terms of being easy to understand, but there is much here to think about, along with uniformly excellent performances.
My best guess is that this is a story about karma. In 1985, two border-patrol agents kill a migrant who is injured in a border stream.
This migrant was trying to get back to his wife in El Paso and the son he'd named Angel.
Forty years later, both young and older versions of the murdered migrant return -- to visit the gravesite of his beloved wife, to reconnect with the son he never got to raise, and to seek retribution for his own death.
Dumb.just. dumb.
jamosmonk24 March 2024
There is no plot to this movie. It's as if it doesn't know what it wants to be. It is one of those films where a little conversation goes a long way. If Angel had just told his coworkers that the I. A. guys were looking for his long lost father who wandered into town. That wouldve removed all the reason for paranoia. The nonsensical conversations between ALL characters does not help. The simple lack of following simple safety procedures is what started this foolishness, but straight forward talking wouldve removed all doubt...so definitely Dont do that. This is just poorly written and poorly executed.
Not what I thought it would be
silverton-3795921 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
The blurb for this film states that it's about the murder of an illegal immigrant that is covered up by the border patrol. That isn't all of it by any means.
This is actually a film about a supernatural event that involves three border patrol agents who encounter a ghost or possibly a doppelganger. Angel, the agent in charge of their station picks up a man who tries to cross the river at a deep point with a fast current. Angel thinks the man has drowned, but he's alive, so Angel takes him to the station and puts him in the care of the other two agents.
At about the same time, Angel's estranged father, a Mexican national who has been in institutions in Mexico for 30 years shows up at Angel's house. Angel has never met his father and thinks that he abandoned Angel and his mother when Angel was born.
Yes, it is about a murder, in a way, but it's a chilling story, a murder mystery,of sorts, but there lies the twist in the story's ending.
It's well acted with excellent direction and cinematography. I liked it.
This is actually a film about a supernatural event that involves three border patrol agents who encounter a ghost or possibly a doppelganger. Angel, the agent in charge of their station picks up a man who tries to cross the river at a deep point with a fast current. Angel thinks the man has drowned, but he's alive, so Angel takes him to the station and puts him in the care of the other two agents.
At about the same time, Angel's estranged father, a Mexican national who has been in institutions in Mexico for 30 years shows up at Angel's house. Angel has never met his father and thinks that he abandoned Angel and his mother when Angel was born.
Yes, it is about a murder, in a way, but it's a chilling story, a murder mystery,of sorts, but there lies the twist in the story's ending.
It's well acted with excellent direction and cinematography. I liked it.
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