On October 18, 2024, 'The Line' was released by Utopia to predominantly positive reviews, currently holding at 76% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the film, "Alex Wolff stars as Tom, a scholarship student desperate to break free from his working-class background who is charmed by the prestigious KNA fraternity's promises of high social status and alumni connections that open doors. But upon beginning a romance with Annabelle (Halle Bailey), a classmate outside of his social circle, and the manipulative schemes of his fraternity president (Lewis Pullman) unfolding during the hazing of new members, Tom finds himself ensnared in a perilous game of ambition and loyalty." Read the full review round-up below.
Taylor Gates of Collider says, "One of the biggest things The Line has going for it is the way it tackles heavy, complicated subject matter in a way that feels authentic. It’s easy to write off fraternity brothers as entitled bullies, and certainly, there are times many of them come off this way in the film. But The Line also showcases the vulnerabilities and insecurities bubbling under the surface of these young men driving a lot of the aggressive behavior. It also explores the different reasons why they want to be a part of this organization that stems beyond sex, booze, and campus clout." Adding, "The line (pun intended) between victim and villain is often blurred in this film, examining the various power dynamics and how possessing that power can simultaneously be a blessing and a curse. It doesn’t feel like it’s trying to make some big, grand proclamation, which ends up helping it get its message across in a more engaging, layered way. For example, Tom is relatively popular and revered among his fraternity brothers, but it’s clear he doesn’t come from the kind of money many of them do. He has to make his own connections instead of relying on his family name to get him a good job after college, and he often feels the pressure to hustle and stretch the truth when mingling with his friends’ affluent and influential parents. Wolff gives an excellent lead performance, inviting us to sympathize with him and his difficult choices without letting him off the hook for his mistakes."
Lovia Gyarkye of Hollywood Reporter notes, "It would have been even more compelling, then, for Berger to have burrowed more deeply into Tom’s life — to explore his need to belong. His conversations with Annabelle are, initially, a way to do that, but they don’t go anywhere and her character ends up feeling inconsequential. As the film careens toward its predictable conclusion, questions about Tom’s desires and motivations keep cropping up. With no answers, The Line ends on a deflating, and strangely noncommittal note. The stakes are higher for this working-class kid chasing his version of the American Dream, and my mind wandered back to Richard at the end of The Secret History. Realizing just how much trouble he might be in, the novel’s protagonist starts to panic and consider his situation: “What did it matter, if they failed to graduate, if they had to go back home?” he wonders of his friends in the classics major cabal. “At least they had homes to go to. They had trust funds, allowances, dividend checks, doting grandmas, well-connected uncles, loving families. College for them was only a way station, a sort of youthful diversion. But this was my main chance, the only one.”
Murtada Elfadl of Variety says, "Wolff gives a focused, attention-grabbing performance, working from the outside-in, with an affected long-voweled voice and measured, studied pose and walk. As Tom’s world crumbles, his performance becomes more raw, adding sensitivity and disillusionment."
Pete Hammond of Deadline Hollywood Daily praises the film, stating, There have been plenty of movies detailing life in a fraternity — Animal House being the crown jewel of all, no matter how outrageously funny. The newest entry in the genre, The Line, which premiered at the Tribeca Festival this weekend, is not trying to amuse on any level; a deadly serious take on college frat houses, it looks like it was ripped straight from the many headlines about hazing deaths and horrific goings-on at these places. However, for at least its first half to first two thirds, this feature film debut for director Ethan Berger (who also co-wrote the script with Alex Russek) is aiming to entertain with a look at the fictional southern Kappa Nu Alpha fraternity in all its vile, sick, crass ugliness. If the goal was to make us hate these guys, the filmmakers succeed admirably. By the end I wanted see every last one of them expelled and the house shut down for good. What it seems to be saying, no matter how egregious the behavior, is that only the faces change over time, not the attitude. The deck is stacked in The Line, but the ultimate message (which is you are best to steer clear of the frat world at all costs) comes through loud and clear."
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| Photo by Simon Ray on Unsplash |
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