A customs officer who can smell fear develops an unusual attraction to a strange traveler while aiding a police investigation which will call into question her entire existence.A customs officer who can smell fear develops an unusual attraction to a strange traveler while aiding a police investigation which will call into question her entire existence.A customs officer who can smell fear develops an unusual attraction to a strange traveler while aiding a police investigation which will call into question her entire existence.
- Director
- Writers
- John Ajvide Lindqvist(based on the short story "Gräns" by)
- Ali Abbasi(screenplay)
- Isabella Eklöf(screenplay)
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- John Ajvide Lindqvist(based on the short story "Gräns" by)
- Ali Abbasi(screenplay)
- Isabella Eklöf(screenplay)
- Stars
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 19 wins & 30 nominations total
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- Director
- Writers
- John Ajvide Lindqvist(based on the short story "Gräns" by) (screenplay)
- Ali Abbasi(screenplay)
- Isabella Eklöf(screenplay)
- All cast & crew
- See more cast details at IMDbPro
Storyline
Tina, who has grotesque, almost animal-like physical features, has always felt self-conscious about her looks. Regardless, she has: a live-in boyfriend, Roland, a dog trainer, at her isolated house in the woods, although they have never had sex, and Tina's father, who is in the early stages of Alzheimer's, believing he is solely using her; the unconditional love and support of her father; a small group of friends; and the admiration of her bosses and coworkers in her job as a customs agent at the Ferry terminal, as she is literally able to "smell" human emotions, especially guilt and fear. It is using that innate ability that she stops a seemingly straight-laced person entering the country, he who was found to be carrying a memory card containing child pornography. As such, her immediate supervisor, Agneta, places her on a small investigative unit to discover the producers of this material. Tina is surprised when she is found to be incorrect about another person going through customs, Vore, an entomologist who, like her, possesses those similar grotesque, almost animal-like physical features, he who is found not to be carrying anything incriminating. In Vore and Tina's multiple encounters at customs, the two begin a friendship, Tina, for the first time, believing she having found a kindred spirit. As Tina learns more and more about Vore, the more she learns about herself. As more and more information comes to light, Tina has to decide whether to abandon the life she has known in its entirety for the future that Vore offers her, that future which may go against what she has always believed to be the good about being human. —Huggo
- Taglines
- Sense Something Beautiful
- Genres
- Certificate
- 15
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaWhile creating the film, Ali Abbasi was influenced by a lot of Latin American magical realism including Gabriel García Márquez, Carlos Fuentes and Roberto Bolaño.
- GoofsIn the end credits, "Stockholms Hamnar" (Stockholm Harbors) is misspelled as "Stockholms Hamner".
- ConnectionsFeatured in Conan: Aubrey Plaza/Jenny Zigrino (2019)
Top review
On the borderline of human existance
If you liked the Norwegian movies Troll hunter or Thale, you'll also like this Swedish-Danish co-production, which has been a festival hit at both Cannes and Karlovy Vary, and probably a lot more festivals to come. You could say the Swedes and Danes seem inspired by the folkloric tales from Norwegian directors, having huge success the latter years.
Saw this at the screening in the Thermal grand hall (cap. 1150) and hardly any went away during the showing, due to the this film being quite captivating.
Border (Originally: Gräns) first appears to be a drama about an odd looking and rather strange woman in her late thirties with a seemingly unique talent in semlling fear, and she has a suitable job as a customs inspector at a Swedish ferry port. She can sniff out guilt, shame, fear and rage. Off-duty, she is a loner, loving quietness in the woods close to her rural home, with a redneck living with her, in separate beds, and she visits her seemingly half demented father in a nursing home. But one day she meets a man which looks surprisingly like her.
This is only the beginning, as the film now takes a slide into a different genre.
Director is Ali Abbassi, who has the equally strange concepts before in the movie Shelley. Well directed and well played. This is far from being a comedy, but there are many funny moments and the audience had huge outburst of laughter.
The title "Border" is really well suited in all ways. Very much recommended, and really something else.
Saw this at the screening in the Thermal grand hall (cap. 1150) and hardly any went away during the showing, due to the this film being quite captivating.
Border (Originally: Gräns) first appears to be a drama about an odd looking and rather strange woman in her late thirties with a seemingly unique talent in semlling fear, and she has a suitable job as a customs inspector at a Swedish ferry port. She can sniff out guilt, shame, fear and rage. Off-duty, she is a loner, loving quietness in the woods close to her rural home, with a redneck living with her, in separate beds, and she visits her seemingly half demented father in a nursing home. But one day she meets a man which looks surprisingly like her.
This is only the beginning, as the film now takes a slide into a different genre.
Director is Ali Abbassi, who has the equally strange concepts before in the movie Shelley. Well directed and well played. This is far from being a comedy, but there are many funny moments and the audience had huge outburst of laughter.
The title "Border" is really well suited in all ways. Very much recommended, and really something else.
helpful•10224
- OJT
- Jul 8, 2018
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- Frontera
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $771,930
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $73,700
- Oct 28, 2018
- Gross worldwide
- $2,177,678
- Runtime1 hour 50 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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