“Borrego,” writer/director Jesse Harris’ 2nd characteristic, is punctuated by two serious information-based screens, Drug Enforcement Administration as Schedule II substances (extremely dangerous) have changed the game of smuggling drugs at the border, and exacerbated the public health crisis of the opiate problem.
This is a pressing issue, and “Borrego” doesn’t do it justice, as it follows a very standard plot: an innocent woman is drawn into the bigger drug conflict in a classic example of “wrong place, wrong time.” At times, “Borrego” feels like a thriller, with an innocent bystander woman and a tired deputy sheriff facing up to two drug-dealing business reps in the valleys near the Mexican-California border.
Is Borrego Based On A True Story?
So, the simple answer is that there is no confirmation that the story of the movie is based on any true event. There are high possibilities that the story might be inspired by some such events but not based on any particular type of event that happened in the past.
Jesse Harris could never have predicted that his excursions to California’s Anza-Borrego Desert with his parents would play such a significant part in his professional life.
But, for the past six years, Harris has been making a film based on one of those trips, which took him 1,200 miles from his home in Seattle. Harris credits the inspiration for his new film to a genuine story about his father, an avid botanist. According to Harris, his finding of an invasive plant species spreading across the desert “triggered off an entire tale in my imagination.”
With the release of his latest movie “Borrego” on Friday, Jan. 14, Harris will be able to share it with audiences all around the country. The thriller, which features Lucy Hale as a young botanist, was written and directed by Harris. But this isn’t the first time Harris has made a name for himself in the film industry.
Harris, a Ballard High School graduate, began his filmmaking career at a young age, writing and directing his first feature film at the age of 17. Rather than going to college, Harris used the money set aside for tuition to fund his first feature picture, which was finally picked up for release.
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Borrego Story
Borrego tells the story of a young botanist who moves to a small desert hamlet to study an exotic plant species. When an inexperienced drug mule kidnaps her after his lightweight aircraft crashed in the desert, she must fight for her life.
Borrego is a strong contender for both the biggest racist and the dumbest film of the year in 2022. No, it’s not because Jesse Harris, a Seattle native, has chosen to make a San Diego border drama about Mexican drug smugglers. It’s more to do with the reality that botanist Elly is portrayed as a scary movie victim after being involved with an opioid smuggler when his plane crashes in the desert, where she is investigating a plant that isn’t supposed to be there.
The predicament these two characters are in isn’t strictly an issue, as Tomas is stranded and could use a biological compass, but the script’s method of doing this entails using force and tying hands. To put it another way, the Mexican male is purposefully portrayed as bad, enabling viewers to perceive the white woman as a sympathetic, morally pure heroine. It’s awkward and off-putting, and it detracts from what could have been a fascinating idea for these two individuals.
Meanwhile, a sheriff named José handles incoming calls about these ongoing events (he is understaffed, but the murders are technically under his jurisdiction) while also acting like an overprotective mother to his young daughter Alex, who rides motorcycles without helmets. Alex skipped school the day before Elly went missing to hang out and do some studies, and the two shared a few family stories.
The squabble between father and daughter over the latter’s desire to assist law enforcement and locate her new lost buddy is marginally more entertaining than the forced journey of transporting drugs, but it isn’t.
Where To Watch Borrego?
Borrego is currently streaming on Apple Tv, Vudu, and Prime Video.
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