Is Celebrity Horror Going to Become a New Subgenre?

Samara Weaving has carved herself a nice niche in the horror genre. Starting with Ready or Not, in which she memorably plays a new bride who is stalked by her in-laws, Weaving has established herself as one of the best modern scream queens. Her latest movie is titled Borderline. The new Borderline trailer has just been released.

Weaving plays Sofia, a famous popstar who is pursued by an obsessed, mentally disturbed man (Ray Nicholson). Sofia is in a desperate fight for survival after the man breaks into her mansion and holds her captive. The crazy dude thinks that he and Sofia are about to get married.

Are we going to see a new trend of horror movies with pop star protagonists? Smile 2 did it last year, but prior examples are sparse. Perfect Blue, a brutally violent 1997 Japanese anime about a singer who faces the ire of a homicidal fan, is another.

The pressures of fame, especially in regard to fan entitlement, is a great concept for horror movies to explore. In the past, most filmmakers were unlikely to use a pop star as a protagonist. This is probably because it would be difficult for audiences to relate to them. But now, in the modern world of social media, we can identify with them more than ever!

A few quick thoughts on the trailer:

0:17 – we get a jump scare right off the bat when Sofia turns on the light in her kitchen and her stalker is right behind her!

0:36 – “The best day of my life, and therefore yours, will be fast approaching.” The stalker tells Sophia about their upcoming nuptials, which, of course, comes as a total surprise to her.

1:05 – Penny (Alba Batista) gets introduced. She is apparently the stalker’s accomplice. I would be interested to learn what her backstory/motive is.

1:28 – Sofia hoists a guitar, apparently about to use it as a weapon. Hopefully she’ll get to smash somebody with it. Using musical instruments as weapons is always fun!

1:54 – The stalker has kidnapped a pastor, presumably to officiate his wedding. Nicholson’s character is accompanied by a young girl and some other folks. How many people has this guy roped into his plot?

Borderline appears to have the same darkly comedic tone as Weaving’s previous films, Ready or Not and Scream VI. The film will hit theaters and streaming platforms on March 15th. Here’s the Borderline movie trailer: