Borgman (2013)

A vagrant enters the lives of an arrogant upper-class family, turning their lives into a psychological nightmare in the process.

Director:

Alex van Warmerdam

Writer:

Alex van Warmerdam

Stars:

Jan Bijvoet, Hadewych Minis, Jeroen Perceval

11 wins & 22 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jan Bijvoet	...	Camiel Borgman
Hadewych Minis	...	Marina
Jeroen Perceval	...	Richard
Alex van Warmerdam	...	Ludwig
Tom Dewispelaere	...	Pascal
Sara Hjort Ditlevsen	...	Stine
Elve Lijbaart	...	Isolde
Dirkje van der Pijl	...	Rebecca
Pieter-Bas de Waard	...	Leo
Eva van de Wijdeven	...	Ilonka
Annet Malherbe	...	Brenda
Gene Bervoets	...	Gardener
Mike Weerts	...	Arthur Stornebrink
Pierre Bokma	...	Priest
Benjamin Boe Rasmussen	...	Man with Dog

Storyline

A priest and his companion hunt silently through the fields, accompanied by a braying dog. They are armed and deadly. Their quarry is Camiel Borgman (Jan Bijvoet), living in military sparseness in an underground den, near companions Ludwig and Pascal. Camiel scrapes out with some difficulty, hitching a ride with a doomed truck driver on a relentless trip to the heart of suburbia. He passes by two odd women, Brenda and Ilonka, with whom he seems to share a history. When a dirty Camiel arrives at the door of artist Marina and media executive Richard's expansive, designer-chic home, the shifting perceptions of Van Warmerdam's screenplay begin to displace and disorient the audience. Hallucinogenic elements dot the consciousness as Camiel shifts between the roles of victim and aggressor. He asks for a bath. He toys with Richard's jealousy. He is viciously beaten up by his cruelly intolerant host and left wounded on the floor. Marina seeks to assuage her guilt by allowing him a space for ...

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Plot Keywords:

female nudity | dog | nanny | girl in bra | girl in underwear | 

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Taglines:

The perfect cross between Dogtooth and Michael Haneke.

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Netherlands Belgium Denmark

Language:

Dutch English

Release Date:

29 August 2013 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

Bela

Filming Locations:

Bloemendaal, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Box Office

Budget:

€3,100,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

€77,448 (Netherlands), 1 September 2013, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,224, 20 June 2014, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$56,474, 25 July 2014

Company Credits

Production Co:

Graniet Film BV, NTR, Epidemic

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (HD)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Official submission of the Netherlands to the Oscars 2014 best foreign language film category.

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Goofs

In one of the first scenes when the kids go to bed, it's clearly bright outside and in the middle of the day. In the next scene it's night.

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Crazy Credits

The film opens with the caption: And they descended upon the earth to strengthen their ranks.

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Connections

Referenced in Estrenos Críticos: Sabotaje, Mas allá del Amor, Borgman, La Cueva, El abuelo que saltó por la ventana y se largó (2014)

User Reviews

The movie undoubtedly makes one wonder about his/her own inner dark side.

Borgman is not a vagabond or a homeless, but the evil, the Antichrist itself. He emerges from under the ground with his followers when the local priest and some helpers try to destroy them. They manage to escape and set out on a journey to capture new souls. Borgman is not interested in money or wealth, not interested in seducing women or hurting children. He could get it all if only he wanted to. His only interest is to bring out the evil residing in all humans - men, women, children. He manipulates, sedates or kills people when it is necessary, but it is not a goal, just a tool for him. When he finds a potential follower, he marks him or her with a stigma on their backs. He does a perfect job with an upper-class family turning the family members, the babysitter and her boyfriend against each other, uncovering their worst thoughts and desires. Borgman ends up by capturing new followers, and abandons the beautiful house by cleaning up any traces of his terrible deeds. The movie is surrealistic, full of symbols related to the Bible, and lightened up with lots of spooky humor. It does have a clear plot and a full ending, and undoubtedly makes one wonder about his/her own inner dark side.