Can “Border Brothers” really be compared to Pineapple Express meets the Hangover? Probably in the sense that it deals with marijuana and three male leads on a journey.

So, if you’re a fan of action comedic films, Border Brothers by Hectic Films might be for you. The film starts with Brian Ross, a young man, living in poverty that is a self-employed pool cleaner. He believes he is impoverished because of a new competitor, Hombre Pool Cleaning, that is taking his customers due to their low service rate. Down with luck in romantic interest and business clientele, he decides to work with his cousin and uncle in illegal activities by agreeing to smuggle marijuana across the Mexican border into the United States. He does so successfully and spends a night at a motel. The next morning, he gets pulled over by a cop that demands to look into his trunk. As Brian opens the trunk, with his surprise the bricks of pot are gone. As the officer walks back to his vehicle while two immigrants pop out from a hidden compartment in the car. Brian shuts the trunk so the officer doesn’t notice them and speaks to them at a dinner. The two immigrants, Juan, played by Luis Fernandez-Gill and Lupe, played by Orlando Chavez, help Brian by telling him who was in charge of stealing the pot from the trunk. They embark on a journey by following a series of pieces of a map to find the location of the drug lord. The film ends with Brian as a known fugitive escaping from the custody of the police with the two immigrants that he befriends. Along his side is a female that was held hostage by the drug lord and they become romantically involved.

For being a local film with roughly a $5,000 budget, this independent film directed by Ricky Bird did a great job in setting the scene by shooting along the Mexican-American border and California City to give an Arizona vibe. The acting was great and believable from the leads but not the supporting roles. There were a few scenes that were out of focus and the scene where the marijuana is being stolen is underexposed so all you see is a black screen.

Overall, due to its subject content of racism, nudity, and over acting of drug use I would not watch this film again. However, at the end of the film most of the movie goers had a lasting applause with a standing ovation and someone even stated that “It was the best movie ever.”

(3 out of 5)