The Line

I had a boring college experience. I went to a small, Christian college where the idea of a "wild party" was ten people crammed in a small dorm, drinking cheap vodka mixed with Gatorade. Now, truth be told, I was too nervous to ever attend these events. After all, my school was a so-called "dry campus" and I didn't want to get into trouble for breaking the rules. Some six years later, I am currently 28 years old and find myself fantasizing over missed opportunities in my college days. What would my life be like if I took more risks, drank more alcohol, and perhaps even joined a fraternity? "The Line" seeks to answer those questions - how can a frat improve, or ruin, one's life? It's an intriguing premise that, unfortunately, devolves into a boring and predictable film.

Listen: I love, love, love (with a capital L) coming of age movies. I love coming of age movies that are light hearted and fun and goofy and romantic (Netflix's "Incoming" stands out as a recent example) and I especially love coming of age movies that turn dark and sinister and have characters undergoing a sort of moral test or dilemma. And from the quick one-sentence synopsis of "The Line," which is, "A university student lives life without fear of consequences," I expected one of two things - either a "Project X" style party romp, or a twisted sort of academic thriller. Unfortunately, "The Line" tries to be both, and does neither thing well.

Where to start with this movie? I guess with the positives? Why not. For one, the acting is good enough here (except for Halle Bailey, who I thought was completely miscast and undersold every single line she spoke - at times, the way she delivered things sounded like she was imitating a toddler in tone of voice, and I was flabbergasted as to what her approach exactly was; was she trying to be a "too cool for school" college student, or was it meant to be some ironic take on a character with an inflated sense of self-importance? Whatever the intention, it just didn't land). Virtually everyone is believable to the point where you can't tell that they're acting, which is really all you can ask from any film. Sure, sometimes the dialogue wasn't exactly the best written, but the way it was delivered made it possible to look past any potential shortcomings. Alex Wolff, Bo Mitchell, and Austin Abrams are the standouts here with performances that steal scenes and keep eyes glued to the screen - and luckily, all three of them have a substantial amount of screen time, meaning that, if you enjoy their acting, you'll find at least something to keep you invested.

And - in terms of positives - that's about it! Besides the performances, this movie is a drag that by no means had to be over 90 minutes long. "The Line" seemingly wants to show the negative effects of "Good Old Boy" fraternities by highlighting their casual racism, excessive indulgence, and complete disregard for the potential consequences of their actions. On paper, that sounds super interesting. In execution, "The Line" falls apart. Let's break it down, starting with the theme of casual racism. There's no question that old-school frats have a history steeped in exclusion and prejudice. "The Line" portrays its fraternity as a group that blatantly rejects people with darker skin. In one uncomfortable scene, the brothers chant "Too dark, too dark!" upon seeing the photo of an Indian candidate up for membership. The irony here is that the main character, Wolff, has an olive complexion himself, making the fraternity's superficial standards feel inconsistent and almost hypocritical, undermining the film's commentary on racial prejudice.

Now, let's talk excessive indulgence. "The Line" shows its frat bros chugging booze and snorting endless lines of a very certain and specific white powder. Both of these activities are risky, to say the least - yet the film doesn't seem interested in portraying them that way. Characters binge drink and overindulge in drugs with reckless abandon, but there's never a hint of any real consequences. No hangovers, no bad trips, no lasting effects. It's as if these self-destructive habits are just part of the scenery, stripped of any weight or danger, which ultimately undermines the film's attempt to critique the fraternity lifestyle.

And finally, let's talk about disregard for consequences. "The Line" is a slow, slow, slow burn - as in, for most of this movie, nothing really happens, and what does happen doesn't matter. During the final 30 minutes, something finally does happen; that said, what happens is incredibly underwhelming and incredibly predictable to the point where I was thinking to myself "There's no way this movie does exactly what I'm thinking it's going to do, right?" And lo and behold, it did indeed do exactly what I thought it was going to do, ending with a completely expected third act that does and says nothing new or interesting. I mean, without spoiling anything, all I'll say is this: Can you imagine a potential negative consequence of violent fraternity hazing? If you can, then you immediately know what happens at the end of this film.

I would like to call "The Line" a swing and a miss, but it doesn't even really swing. I so desperately wanted to watch a tight, taut thriller about the descent into madness one may go through when indulging in the cult-like mentality of fraternities, but instead I got a a bland, boring, faux slice of life and coming of age film that doesn't do anything innovative with its concept of the frat lifestyle. Ultimately, "The Line" feels like a wasted opportunity, squandering its potential to say something meaningful or memorable, instead opting for more of the same old, same old.

I generally don't enjoy intense movies as they make me anxious this movie I have to say was an exception. The acting, direction and sound effects were absolutely brilliant. The characters are complex and their journey is well crafted. The cinematography is crisp and movie has a quick pace and stays with you days after you watch it. The film talks about important issues surrounding frat culture including racism, toxic masculinity and homophobia etc. While not being preachy or holier than thou. I would watch this movie again and definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys movies that make you think.

Really solid movie. It pulls you into the frat world and then shows how messed up it actually is. Austin Abrams was amazing as Gettys. He's not the main character, but honestly felt like the heart of it. Things get dark fast and it doesn't sugarcoat anything. Definitely not your typical college movie.

A provocative, damning and necessary exposé on the culture of Greek Life. This film blends artful and intimate cinematography with boisterous dialogue to deliver a chaotic and intense portrayal of fraternity pledging. While the film only scratches the surface of the characters' humanity, the protagonist's retrograde unraveling serves as a powerful commentary on the dangers of toxic masculinity, binge drinking, and herd mentality. The director does not offer an easy resolution, taking the audience on a journey into the depths of alcoholism with no glimpse of redemption for its pawns; this film demands serious conversation.

I love it when a movie is giving you a sense of dread. Nothing particularly bad is/has happened on screen as yet, but you know it's all setting up for something. And it's like a train-wreck, where you know you should look away, but you simply can't.

That's what 'The Line' was for me. I was interested in what was happening on screen the entire time, no doubt about that, but I also knew it was going to go to some dark places. It had a real 'The Basketball Diaries' feel about it.

Something I couldn't help noticing in this movie is that Angus Cloud was a really classy actor. He doesn't have a whole to do in this movie, but every time he's on screen he draws your attention and seemed like a class above the rest of the cast. His talent will be missed and we will always wonder what could've been.

I really enjoyed this movie. 9/10.