The Borrower is a 1991 American science fiction horror film directed by John McNaughton (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer). It stars Rae Dawn Chong, Tom Towles (also Henry) and Antonio Fargas (Howling VI: The Freaks).
The alien serial killer, who is sent to Earth to live among humans, which includes having his body genetically transformed to look like a human’s. The transformation is incomplete and, after a while, the alien’s body begins to revert back to its original form. His head explodes, prompting him to “borrow” another from anyone who happens to be nearby. He gets it by squeezing the head off with a crab-like claw and skewering it onto his own neck.
Police Officer Pierce (Chong) and her partner try to figure out the killing spree, with only one clue, all of the victims heads have been removed. The team slowly comes to the conclusion that they are facing a rather unearthly killer…
“Kevin Yagher (A Nightmare on Elm Street) provides everything from slimy insectoid aliens to bodily deformulation. The sleaze of Chicago’s gutter is a great accompaniment to the grisly events of The Borrower as well. The dark, dank, neon lit alleys at night highlight the visual aspect in the same way that they did Maniac. Its slow pace and the killer’s otherworldly deliberation make it seem like a spoof of The Terminator at times. All in all, it’s a very watchable spoof filled with an engrossing stylistic sense, great fx, and an exaggerated monster from outer space.” Splatter Shack
“The major problem is less narrative incoherence than it is the very limitedness of the premise – the plot consists of nothing other than the alien wandering about tearing people’s heads off and never develops into anything more than that. And the idea in itself is a ripoff of the ultra-cheap The Dark (1979). More likely though, The Borrower was probably construed as a copy of The Hidden (1987). The insectoid alien at the start is impressive but the various splatterings and head borrowing effect are much more variable.” Moria
