Borderless Fog Movie Review: An unsettling and atmospheric murder mystery

Borderless Fog stands out for its mystery, intrigue and atmospheric nature. Even after the credits have rolled, it is hard to find closure. Were there supernatural elements at play in the serial murders, was it an inside job to make an example of certain individuals, did the local police have a hand in it, what was the real motive? Since Edwin’s film gives you no clear answers, it could be argued that the most likely answer is all of the above.

Director - Edwin

Cast - Putri Marino, Yoga Pratama, Lukman Sardi, Yudi Ahmad Tajudin, Yusuf Mahardika

Streaming On - Netflix

A determined detective in Sanja (Putri Marino) is sent from Jakarta to Borneo to investigate a strange twin murder in which one person’s severed head is found on another’s body. The former is up against it from the minute of her arrival, with the local police diffident to reveal all the information at their disposal. Her father, an overprotective top cop, has ensured she is “protected” by all means possible. Needless to say, this doesn’t sit well with her. A dedicated and thorough officer she may well be, but respect from within the ranks isn’t easy to come by (for someone in her predicament). She is paired with officer Thomas (Yoga Pratama) to help her navigate the new landscape. The scene of the murder is quite complex, lying on the border between Indonesia and Malaysia. Home to the people of Dayaknese, Malay and Chinese descent, it once saw the overthrow of the communists by the joint military forces of Indonesia and Malaysia (with the assistance of the residents). The locals believe one of the communist commanders by the name of Ambong fled to the jungles, and that his ghost haunts the region to this day. Sanja must deal with an uncooperative and crooked police chief, Malaysian law enforcement on the other side of the border with their own set of agendas, and a tight-lipped community with whispers of a communist spirit in the jungles, to uncover the truth behind the serial murders.

Borderless Fog’s strength is that it barely reveals anything, despite presenting multiple scenarios for the investigators to work with. The police establishment is neck deep in corruption, with the sitting chief having an illegal business that may or may not be connected to a trafficking ring. Sanja is up against it; neither can she trust the local police to provide her with the requisite intelligence nor can she gain the trust of the community because she is from law enforcement. The supernatural angle of Ambong is an interesting one as we get to hear about the myth only in conversation. In all of this, Sanja’s deep-seated guilt and complicated relationship with her father is revealed.

The film attempts to fuse a number of small elements to form a cohesive story only to leave it open-ended at the conclusion. While that could be an unconventional choice for a police thriller, it sure does score points in the department of intrigue. Even though it does get confusing here and there, it leaves you in a thinking state. The overall gloom of the narrative is captured perfectly in its frames, with shots of the deep jungle conveying that there is more to the place than meets the eye. The challenges faced within the border police department are portrayed expertly by the actors. Whether it’s the special treatment Sanja never asked for or the underhand dealings going on unchecked, Putri Marino & Co. fit into their roles naturally.

There’s a sense of growing unease with Borderless Fog. It is hard to pinpoint its exact origin. Its ability to unsettle with a series of unknowns is what makes the film. Despite its sometimes-frustrating open-ended nature, it reinforces the power of less is more (not showing the root cause of the murders, in this case). The film leaves a lot to the imagination and the audience’s ability to connect the dots. Almost an unsolvable mystery, if you will.