Fight your way out.|Jan. 14, 2022|United States|102 Min.|R
Genre: Crime;Thriller
Description: “Borrego,” the second full-length feature by writer and director Jesse Harris, is framed by two serious informational screens that highlight the impact of Fentanyl and other Schedule II substances on drug smuggling and the opioid epidemic. While the topic is urgent, the film follows a fairly conventional narrative: an innocent woman gets caught in the middle of the drug war due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The story unfolds as a thriller, focusing on the woman, a deputy sheriff, and two drug dealers in the canyons along the Mexico-California border. The addition of the deputy sheriff’s teenage daughter, who races across the desert to save her father, further complicates the film’s attempt to align with its serious themes.
The film begins with serene, almost meditative drone shots of the vast, desolate desert. A small figure, Elly (played by Lucy Hale), walks through the barren landscape, examining yellow flowers that shouldn’t be growing in such harsh conditions. Elly, a botanist conducting a plant survey, later explains that the flowers are out of place—a metaphor for her own unexpected presence in the area. While driving home, she witnesses a plane crash in the desert. She rushes to help but discovers the injured pilot, Tomas (Leynar Gomez), surrounded by large bricks of drugs. Tomas takes her hostage at gunpoint, and they embark on a journey toward the Salton Sea region in Southern California.
The film blends moments of tension with its scenic backdrop, though it struggles to fully connect its dramatic plot with its initial focus on the opioid crisis.
Cast director: Jesse Harris
Cast actor: Lucy Hale, Nicholas Gonzalez, Leynar Gomez, Jorge A. Jimenez, Olivia Trujillo
Original name: Borrego