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The Border

The Border

Crime · Drama · 1982

A corrupted border agent decides to clean up his act when an impoverished woman's baby is put up for sale on the black market.

Movie details

The Border

“When Charlie Smith went down to the border, he found more than a boundary between Texas and Mexico. He found a line within himself.”

1982 Crime · Drama 1h 48m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.0 / 10

Community rating

A corrupted border agent decides to clean up his act when an impoverished woman's baby is put up for sale on the black market.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Border?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

The Mule

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The Place Beyond the Pines

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The Long Goodbye

The Long Goodbye

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In 1970s Hollywood, Detective Philip Marlowe tries to help a friend who is accused of murdering his wife.

Touch of Evil

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Crime · 1958

A border-town bombing draws Mexican investigator Miguel Vargas into a corruption-ridden police investigation led by crooked captain Hank Quinlan, setting off a deadly struggle over power, justice, and truth.

Traffic

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An exploration of the United States of America's war on drugs from multiple perspectives. For the new head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the war becomes personal when he discovers his well-educated daughter is abusing cocaine within their comfortable suburban home. In Mexico, a flawed, but noble policeman agrees to testify against a powerful general in league with a cartel, and in San Diego, a drug kingpin's sheltered trophy wife must learn her husband's ruthless business after he is arrested, endangering her luxurious lifestyle.

Desierto

Desierto

Thriller · 2015

A group of Mexican emigrants attempts to cross the Mexican-US border. What begins as a hopeful journey becomes a harrowing, bloody and primal fight for survival when a deranged, rifle-toting vigilante and his loyal Belgian Malinois dog chase the group of unarmed men and women through the treacherous borderland. In the harsh, unforgiving desert terrain, the odds are stacked firmly against them as they discover there’s nowhere to hide from the unrelenting, merciless killer.

Scarface

Scarface

Action · 1983

After getting a green card in exchange for assassinating a Cuban government official, Tony Montana stakes a claim on the drug trade in Miami. Viciously murdering anyone who stands in his way, Tony eventually becomes the biggest drug lord in the state, controlling nearly all the cocaine that comes through Miami. But increased pressure from the police, wars with Colombian drug cartels and his own drug-fueled paranoia serve to fuel the flames of his eventual downfall.

Training Day

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On his first day on the job as a narcotics officer, a rookie cop works with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears.

Extreme Prejudice

Extreme Prejudice

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Lean, mean Texas Ranger Jack Benteen locks horns with a former friend, Cash Bailey, now a ruthless drug kingpin. Though they're on opposite sides of the law, they share a love interest in the sensual Sarita. When a crew of rogue soldiers descends upon the border town for an off-the-books mission, all roads lead to a bloody, to-the-death showdown, as loyalties shift and the lines between good and evil are blurred.

The Gauntlet

The Gauntlet

Drama · 1977

Phoenix cop Ben Shockley is well on his way to becoming a derelict when he is assigned to transport a witness from Las Vegas. The witness turns out to be a belligerent prostitute with mob ties—and incriminating information regarding a high-ranking official.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Tony Richardson

Written by

Walon Green · Deric Washburn · David Freeman

Jack Nicholson

Jack Nicholson

Charlie Smith

Harvey Keitel

Harvey Keitel

Cat

Valerie Perrine

Valerie Perrine

Marcy

Warren Oates

Warren Oates

Red

Elpidia Carrillo

Elpidia Carrillo

Maria

Shannon Wilcox

Shannon Wilcox

Savannah

M

Manuel Viescas

Juan

Court is in session

Put The Border on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.