One of my fondest gaming memories of the Xbox 360 era was playing Borderlands and Borderlands 2 online with friends. These were among my most played games back then, and I also spent a lot of time with Borderlands 3 and the chaotic awesomeness of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands.
As a longtime fan of the series, I was genuinely excited when the Borderlands movie was announced. In this review, I’ll share my thoughts on the film and explain where you can stream or download it online.
How to Watch or Download Borderlands (2024 film)
Borderlands was released on August 9, 2024. You can now stream or download the movie from trusted digital platforms like Apple TV, Amazon, or Google Play
The Movie Review
Once production began, things started to get weird. I like Kevin Hart, but casting him as Roland felt like a strange choice. That said, Jack Black voicing Clap Trap was spot-on and immediately won me back. However, I was surprised to learn that the actress playing Tiny Tina based her performance on Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad rather than the video game version. I did like the idea of Cate Blanchett as Lilith, though.
With multiple reshoots, delays, and little positive buzz, Borderlands felt like a troubled production from the start. That’s unfortunate, because the franchise has so much personality and rich characters that could translate beautifully to film. While this version isn’t completely terrible — it’s far from the worst movie I’ve seen — it’s also nowhere near what it could have been. If you’re still curious, though, you can now stream or download it and judge for yourself.
Plot Overview
The plot of Borderlands is pretty straightforward. Lilith leads a group of bandits, mercenaries, and hunters who are trying to locate a mysterious vault before it falls into the hands of the villains.
The movie feels like it was originally meant to be rated R, but somewhere along the way that plan changed. The editing is unusually choppy — some scenes feel incomplete, as if moments were trimmed or entire segments removed. Maybe this was done to secure a PG-13 rating? Whatever the reason, the result is noticeably disjointed in places.
Watch the official trailer above.
Would an R-Rated Version Be Better?
Sure, the movie has a very talented cast — heck, Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis have won Oscars! Yet, it feels like they didn’t want to be there. To be honest, that’s mostly on Cate Blanchett. I love her, but her take on Lilith just didn’t land. I’m not sure what she was going for, but it comes across like she was phoning it in.
A Talented Cast Underutilized
I hate to say it, but most of the negativity about Borderlands is warranted. The movie has a very talented cast — heck, Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis have won Oscars! Yet it felt like they didn’t want to be there. Especially Cate Blanchett, who I normally love, but here she just didn’t connect with the character. It came across like she was phoning it in.
Action and Comedy: Hit or Miss
Borderlands does offer some fun action scenes, and a few jokes genuinely made me laugh — especially the game references. However, the choppy editing undercuts even the best moments. The dialogue is super goofy, and that’s coming from someone who usually enjoys the strange tone of the games.
Final Thoughts
It sucks how this one turned out. Borderlands had the potential to be so much fun, but they really botched it. I wouldn’t say it’s the worst movie I’ve ever seen — there were moments I liked — but it was mostly just decent at best, and cringy at worst.
As I said before, I’d still be curious to see a director’s cut. In the meantime, Borderlands (2024) is now available to stream or download from platforms like Apple TV and Amazon, in case you want to judge for yourself.
