Rae Dawn Chong and Don Gordon are an unlikely detective duo in The Borrower. Assigned to investigate the death of a local poacher, Chong and Gordon run afoul of "The Borower," an extraterrestrial serial killer who, when his head is blown off, appropriates the noggins of earthlings in order to commit his nefarious deeds without detection. Yes, we've seen this before in The Thing, but there are enough nuances and plot twists to keep things percolating. Even the "The End...or is It?" denouement is pulled off with finesse. Director John McNaughton deserves effusive praise for creating a nightmarish ambience for his story simply by utilizing existing structures and locales. And those combustible special effects-yow!