Borderlands film accused of being ‘tragically straight’ and ignoring LGBTQ+ characters’ sexuality
Borderlands has been criticised by fans of the game for its lack of LGBTQ+ representaiton. (Lionsgate)
The new Borderlands movie has been accused of “straightwashing” after ignoring LGBTQ+ characters’ sexuality and failing to include any LGBTQ+ representation.
Borderlands, based on a video game series of the same name, has been described as “tragically straight” by Out.com for sidestepping LGBTQ+ characters and narratives in the big-budget adaptation.
Many of the hit video game franchise’s characters are canonically queer and many are disappointed that this didn’t translate to the big screen.
To add to its problems, the film has also been critically panned with a 9% critics score and 52% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film, which came out earlier this month, follows bounty hunter outlaw Lilith (Cate Blanchett) returning to her home planet to search for the missing daughter of intergalactic mogul Atlas (Édgar Ramírez).
Lilith teams up with a team of misfits, including Roman (Kevin Hart), a former soldier on the lookout for redemption, demolitionist Tiny Tina (Barbie star Ariana Greenblatt), Tina’s hunky protector Krieg (boxer Florian Munteanu), scientist Dr. Patricia Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis), and know-it-all robot, Claptrap (Jack Black).
In a scathing review of the film, LGBTQ+ publisher Out commented that Borderlands is “tragically straight” and that there is “no sexuality” whatsoever in the movie. “There’s honestly not any sexuality in this film, aside from a few jokes and maybe an implied look or two,” they explain.
They add: “Even Saint Carol herself, Cate Blanchett, doesn’t radiate a lick of sensuality off her cheekbones (we’d still like them to slice us like marble).”
Does Borderlands have LGBTQ+ characters?
The film clearly doesn’t, however the detailed and long-running Borderlands game franchise features a number of queer characters in the main storyline, as well as in the extended lore of the series.
Tiny Tina, who is in the film, is canonically a lesbian, confirmed by the lead writer of Borderlands 2 Anthony Burch.
In the games, scientist and archeologist Tannis, depicted by Lee Curtis in the film, makes it very clear she’s open to flirting with any gender and she also ingests one of Lilith’s hairs in an attempt to flirt.
Tannis is also said to have had a meeting with Mad Moxxi where she took her clothes off.
Moxxi is canonically bisexual and has engaged in numerous steamy moments with other Borderlands characters.
Furthermore, Borderlands 3 character FL4K has been confirmed to be non-binary.
Sam Winkler, Borderlands 3’s co-writer, confirmed that FL4K uses they/them pronouns, and that the decision was intentional.
“Maybe [it doesn’t matter] to you,” he wrote to a fan on X/Twitter. “But I hope you can imagine that it might to some.”
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