Neptune165 Review of The Laws of the Border

The Laws of the Border (2021)

there's nothing special about this.

[5/10 · 10 December 2021]

Tbh the movie is boring. I felt annoying. The Laws of the Border presented with sympathy (it doesn't happen often nowadays). The characters all have their expected roles. Nacho is the main lead but gets no character development, and barely any more characterisation other than bullied, clueless shy guy. There are hints of a possible complex relationship between Nacho and Zarco (manipulation, betrayal) but doesn't really explore that. On the other hand, the resolution of the love triangle comes out of nowhere and honestly made no sense. The story feels a little generic, part of coming of age, part things slowly escalating. The latter part follows all the expected beats, including a mildly spoilery opening in the present day that serves no purpose other than taking some tension away. In the end, what's the point? There is no character arc. There is no story: they start somewhere, and they are arrested, but the film still goes on. The point is "making a movie". And, if possible, don't deny that violent cops existed, but show those are "a few bad apples", and people need the cops.