The Borderlands (2013) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The church is situated in the Devon countryside of England. It is a recently reopened 13th-century building that stands in a remote, atmospheric location characterized by aging stone, winding passages, and a sense of old secrets. The local population is wary and uncomfortable with the investigators' presence.

• devon
• england
• church
• 13th century
• remote location
• rural setting

The events occur in present-day England, though the church itself dates back to the 13th century. This creates a juxtaposition between ancient sacred sites and modern technology, as the Vatican dispatches investigators with recording equipment to examine contemporary reports of miracles and paranormal phenomena.

• present day
• modern england
• contemporary
• vatican investigators

The film examines the tension between faith and evidence through the clash between Deacon and Gray. Deacon is a skeptical religious brother who demands solid proof before accepting supernatural claims, while Gray relies on recording technology and scientific analysis. Their differing approaches create conflict as they confront unexplained events that challenge both their professional and personal beliefs.

• skepticism
• faith
• doubt
• evidence
• deacon
• gray
• belief vs evidence

The Dark History theme reveals that the church sits atop a history of pagan sacrifice and hidden rituals, discovered through diaries and sigils left by past inhabitants. The exorcism and subsequent discoveries suggest this sinister past continues to influence the present, with hidden tunnels and the site's dark legacy intensifying the danger faced by the investigators.

• pagan
• sacrifice
• rituals
• dark history
• hidden tunnels
• church history
• ancient evil

The Descent theme represents the investigators' literal and symbolic journey into the church's subterranean passages. As they uncover evidence of child sacrifice and a former minister's apostasy, the crew confronts an overpowering force. The walls appear to move, and their objective of rational inquiry fragments as they plunge deeper into the site's secrets.

• descent
• subterranean
• underground
• child sacrifice
• secret passages
• tunnels
• investigation

Deacon (portrayed by Gordon Kennedy) is a skeptical religious brother tasked with investigating the case. He doubts reported miracles and demands solid evidence before accepting supernatural explanations. Despite his caution, he agrees to involve Vatican help and remains steadfast as the investigation reveals hidden doors and a subterranean network beneath the church. He recites the Lord's Prayer as danger intensifies.

• deacon
• gordon kennedy
• skeptical
• religious brother
• vatican investigator
• faith

Gray Parker (portrayed by Robin Hill) is a layman and technology expert recruited from the Vatican to document the phenomena. He installs multi-mic recording gear and analyzes eerie sounds with methodical reasoning. While initially more open to the unknown than Deacon, he becomes increasingly invested as the case deepens and the evidence points to something far more sinister than expected.

• gray parker
• robin hill
• technology
• vatican
• recording
• document
• investigator
• sound analysis

Father Mark Amidon (portrayed by Aidan McArdle) is the stringent, disciplined priest overseeing the inquiry alongside Deacon and Gray. He pursues truth with firmness, even when warned to stop. During the climactic exorcism, Mark is killed and vanishes along with the exorcist Calvino, demonstrating the deadly danger of confronting the site's ancient powers.

• father mark amidon
• aidan mc ardle
• priest
• inquiry leader
• exorcism
• vatican

Father Calvino (portrayed by Patrick Godfrey) is the Vatican exorcist summoned to purify the church grounds. He explains the site's pagan past and performs the exorcism attempt, but during the struggle his eyes bleed and he vanishes alongside Father Mark, leaving the mystery unresolved and underscoring the overwhelming power of the ancient evil.

• father calvino
• patrick godfrey
• vatican exorcist
• pagan
• exorcism
• purify

Father Crellick (portrayed by Luke Neal) is the local priest who warns the investigators about miracles and the dangers of the church. He confronts them about the consequences of their intrusion into the site's secrets. His confrontation with the investigators culminates in a fatal leap to his death, underscoring the peril surrounding the church's hidden truths.

• father crellick
• luke neal
• local priest
• warning
• death
• intrusion
• church secrets

The 13th-century church is sinister because it was built on a site with a history of pagan sacrifice and hidden rituals. The dark history includes evidence of child sacrifice and a former minister's apostasy. The subterranean passages contain sigils and diaries revealing the site's continued influence, creating an ancient evil that actively threatens and consumes those who investigate it.

• ancient evil
• pagan
• sacrifice
• sinister
• church
• tunnels
• sigils
• 13th century

The Vatican dispatches three men to investigate reported miracles and eerie phenomena at the church grounds and its subterranean spaces. This reflects the film's exploration of faith versus evidence, as religious authority sends both a skeptical brother and a technology expert to document events that challenge their understanding of the supernatural and their own beliefs.

• vatican
• investigation
• miracles
• paranormal
• religious authority
• investigators
• church