Borgman

It’s been a long time since I felt like I was in such a drug-induced trance after watching a movie as I did after Borgman. Its hypnotic strangeness does not captivate you with its visuals or sounds (music is used only in places, and the visuals are minimalist), but purely by what happens in it. It is European cinematic art which, however, does not try to convey its idea in a contemplative and wannabe wise manner, but tells it as it is, without pulling any punches and with hellishly dark humor. Borgman is an exemplary festival film; a proper feast for lovers of countercurrent art. (07.03.2014)

Well… how to take this… certainly one of the candidates for the weirdest film of the year. At first, Borgman looks like it would be another addition to the family of classic home-invasion thrillers. But the moment that, besides the shabby hirsute bloke, the house is invaded by giant dogs, to whom the hirsute bloke says: “You’re early. Off with you", and they listen to him, it’s clear that we’re dealing with something a bit more supernatural. The movie has a pretty unsettling and gripping atmosphere, it’s a lot of fun despite not being very forthcoming, and it’s a pleasure to watch from the technical standpoint. But if you need a clear plot and answers to the questions that arise during the story in order to have a proper movie experience, then better go elsewhere, because this is a very bizarre thing, about the spread of evil. Maybe. (29.01.2014)

Alex van Warmerdam is a Dutch Lars von Trier. He makes weird movies full of ideas and the audience must struggle to catch them all if they want to get something out of his movies. Here one would have to be on drugs to be able to understand what exactly was happening in this movie. I didn’t understand it while I was watching it, and I was even more bewildered when it was over. The only thing I did understand was that I have to get rid of my bad personality traits, or Borgman will come and get me. And that’s something no one would wish for after watching this movie. (24.12.2014)

Western civilization in the grip of threats from all available real and mythological spheres. Bizarre and magnetic, yet subtly moving van Warmerdam's playful morbidity closer to phantasmagoric realism... [85%] (07.03.2014)

Borgman is one of those films that is able to properly entice right from the opening scene. The evacuation of mysterious entities hidden in the woods has tension and dynamics. The viewer eagerly anticipates what will emerge from the presented situation. However, what emerged from this appealing genre turned out to be a playful festival film for an audience that doesn't mind the absence of rules and answers. They are pleased that they can freely apply their own interpretive patterns to what they see. Some explanations are mentioned in certain comments, which may or may not be valid. Perhaps the director doesn't have any explanation, perhaps it's foolish to search for a plan or logical construction in the actions of strange conspirators, or maybe it's just a surreal image of our nighttime anxieties and disturbing fragments of dreams. At first, Van Warmerdam pretends that the viewer is watching a classic thriller, but over time, the apparent connections start to fall apart and the story gains a mysterious dimension. Sure, why not? But in order to be satisfied, I need something to grasp onto, a solid point, an impression that what I have seen doesn't slip through my fingers, that it makes sense to search and uncover the mysteries and essence of the events being watched. The success of the TV series Twin Peaks, for example, relied on this. Lynch gradually revealed pieces of the puzzle, only to present the viewer with new questions and tasks shortly after. However, towards the end, the series delved into hallucinogenic states where there was no longer anything to lean on, and consequently, it lost its charm for me. Borgman, I think, would work great as a pilot film for a genre series like The X-Files. As the beginning of a game that - maybe - will eventually acquire some deeper meaning. In this form, however, it feels to me like a self-centered, purposeless affair, although decently filmed. Overall impression: 40%. (18.02.2017)

The attempt at an Euro art-house worked out only half way. Hypnotic in plot, but empty in thought and not really saying anything, with lots of WTF moments that don't make much sense on closer inspection. And we can cheerfully lament whether the director meant it that way or not. (29.08.2017)

Borgman is definitely an experience that is absolutely unique but not necessarily pleasant. There are scenes here that can shock you, even if you've seen something before. This is due to how surreal the scenes are and how they are presented confidently. This is not art for art's sake, this is a bizarre story that will stick in your head. (11.10.2016)