It’s a bad time to be Eli Roth. A miscalculation of near-mythic proportions, “Borderlands” has a whopping six percent on Rotten Tomatoes heading into its opening weekend . Those bad reviews ( IndieWire gave it a “C-“ ) are the least of the “Hostel” filmmaker’s problems, as Lionsgate’s misguided video game adaptation has inspired assessments of not only the director’s filmography but also whether his impact on pop culture has been at all valuable.
This ranking can’t account for all of that. If you’re a fan of the types of genre films that Roth makes, read on. If you’re not, do not pass go, do not collect $200, and enjoy the “Borderlands” dogpile — a massive multiplayer online affair now available free of charge.
Last year, Roth’s meaty and murderous “Thanksgiving” did well for the provocateur. The seasonal holiday slasher, starring Nell Verlaque, Patrick Dempsey, and Addison Rae among others, expanded on a fake trailer Roth directed for Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino ‘s “Grindhouse” (2007). It was well received by critics ( IndieWire gave it an “A-“ ) and audiences alike — heralded as a return to form for Roth after he stepped outside his wheelhouse with the PG-rated “The House with a Clock in Its Walls” (2018).
Like “Borderlands,” the children’s mystery starred Cate Blanchett, Jack Black, and a kid hero (Owen Vaccaro). Unlike “Borderlands,” it was enjoyed by at least some reviewers and became a box office success. Roth’s mangling of Gearbox Softwares’ games universe marks his ninth feature film.
Infamous for a self-aware repulsiveness that’s outraged plenty of audiences, he broke into Hollywood by closing out TIFF’s midnight programming with “Cabin Fever” (2002). The director followed up his successful horror debut with a streak of increasingly nauseating genre films, including “Hostel” (2005), “Hostel: Part II” (2007), and “The Green Inferno” (2013). He’d experiment more from there with the psychosexual thriller “Knock Knock” (2015), vigilante action flick “Death Wish” (2018), and shark documentary “Fin” (2021).
Looking back on Roth’s career, which also includes a notable acting spot in “Inglourious Basterds” (2009), IndieWire has ranked every feature narrative film Roth has directed. He’s written and produced others, including “Aftershock” (2012) and the “Cabin Fever” remake from Ti West (2016) — but even accounting for those duds, nothing is as bad as “Borderlands.”.
