The Tribeca Festival is underway in New York City, bringing an incredibly wide variety of projects to the big screen. One of those projects is The Line, a thriller that takes a harrowing look at fraternity life in an American university and how it changes the lives of young men.
Ethan Berger’s feature narrative debut is an engrossing contemplation of blind adherence to tradition through the lens of a fictional college fraternity. Tom, a passionate ‘brother’ of this fraternity, is charmed by the promises of high social status and alumni connections that open doors. But as a classmate outside of his social circle named Annabelle enters his life, his devotion begins to falter. Once the scheduled hazing of new fraternity members comes to a disturbing head, Tom is faced with the decision of a lifetime.
Right off the bat, The Line will grab your attention and hold it for the duration of its 100-minute runtime. It delivers an authenticity that never has the audience laughing ironically at it and instead puts them in the shoes of these college students. It becomes very easy to get lost in their world and invested in their stakes. You won’t want to look away from your screen.
Fittingly, this film also expertly walks the line between fun and dark. It puts the audience in the middle of the college party atmosphere and throws in a few laughs from time to time. Then, on the flip side, it looks at the aftermath and the behind-the-scenes drama between the fraternity brothers. More importantly, it looks at the psychological impacts of hazing and codependency within a fraternity.
The biggest reason this film can deliver both authentic college fun and dark drama is the performances put forth by the cast. Alex Wolff Instantly endears himself to the audience and puts you in his corner as the leading man. The biggest performance of the film though may come from Bo Mitchell, who is believable and compelling in a bit of an unhinged supporting role. The Little Mermaid star Halle Bailey also steals the few scenes she’s in as the charming love interest for the lead. Austin Abrams and Lewis Pullman also shine in their supporting roles.
The only issue The Line has is its conclusion. While the whole movie is gripping from start to finish, its big climactic moment comes a tad too late and it doesn’t leave enough time to wrap things up in a satisfying way. It will certainly leave you wanting more of some of these characters.
Overall, The Line is a great drama with a very authentic feel and compelling performances. While many films have proven it can be difficult to properly capture the college experience, this film finds the perfect mix of fun and psychological stress to do it just right. The cast put this film over the top and, while is doesn’t exactly stick the landing, it’s certainly an interesting and entertaining watch.
Be sure to check out more of our coverage from this year’s Tribeca Festival.