Screened at SXSW last year, “Deadland” remains pertinent amid the ongoing immigration debate in the US, especially during an election year. This border-set ghost story is haunting in multiple ways. It’s not particularly gory or terrifying; instead, it carries a melancholy tone, laden with guilt. The film delves into masculine and paternal anxieties, exacerbated by divided loyalties.
The central character, Angel Waters, played by Roberto Urbina, is a Mexican-American border guard leading a small patrol unit near El Paso. Angel, the son of a Mexican father he never knew and a recently deceased white American mother, is now dedicated to his pregnant wife, Hannah, portrayed by Kendal Rae. Despite the thinly written part, Rae delivers a compelling performance. Angel strives to do his best for the people crossing the border daily, even though his efforts often go unappreciated.
One day, Angel spots a lone stranger, played by Julio Cesar Cedillo, attempting to cross the river. He shouts warnings in Spanish about the river’s dangers, but moments later, the man is swept away. Angel discovers what seems to be the man’s body downstream, places it in a body bag, and heads to headquarters. However, the corpse revives and demands to be taken to El Paso, where some people need him.
Angel is then called away by Hannah to deal with an old man, played by Manuel Uriza, who claims to be Angel’s father. The man has escaped from a psychiatric hospital and rants about trees and their underground root systems, a potent metaphor throughout the film. The narrative raises questions: Are the two strangers connected? Is the old man truly Angel’s father, or is it the other stranger, or perhaps neither?
The plot thickens with violent events, and writer-director Lance Larson, making his feature debut after several shorts, weaves in themes of racism, border policy, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Despite these heavy themes, the script, credited to Larson and cinematographer Jas Shelton, avoids feeling overly didactic. Shelton’s breathtaking imagery complements the narrative, making it a textbook example of using horror tropes to explore deeper themes while still delivering entertaining jump scares and spooky vibes.
In contrast, another horror film set in a remote Hawaiian island follows four friends who resemble models. They visit a shuttered resort haunted by the vengeful ghost of a native girl whose face was mutilated years ago. The film, filled with clichés, is told as a flashback from a hospital bed by the sole survivor, Lex, played by Bianca Haase. The narrative choices, such as the solemn intonation of Lex as the friends swim near a waterfall, add to the film’s ludicrousness. The film seems more like a meta-joke or a calling card for the writer-director-producer Taylor Chien, who might have just wanted a holiday in Hawaii.
Meanwhile, the US-Mexico border remains a hot topic in the news. Democrats agree that President Biden had to act on immigration, but they are divided over his asylum order. Immigration rights groups have sued the Biden administration over the directive, arguing that it will worsen migrants’ risks. At the Tijuana crossing, Biden’s order has brought stress and confusion. At least four people have died crossing the border amid a brutal heatwave.
Biden’s executive order limiting asylum seekers from crossing the US-Mexico border has faced criticism. Experts warn that the order will only cause suffering, and Democrats have decried the move. Biden’s attempt to straddle both sides with new asylum rules has left many asylum seekers worried about their next move, unable to return to their home countries.
Despite the controversy, irregular crossings of the US-Mexico border have fallen by half since December’s record high. However, Senate Republicans have blocked a bipartisan border security bill for the second time. Aid workers at the latest border hotspot brace for volatility, as Biden’s migrant order is seen as a recipe for chaos.
The US asylum process remains a challenging ordeal for many applicants, some of whom have waited for years. Biden’s executive order to close the southern US border to asylum seekers has sparked debates about the country’s hospitality and the future of immigration policy.
