On The Line, starring Mel Gibson and Kevin Dillon. The film is available on Prime Video from February 3rd 2022.
Synopsis
From the writer and director Romauld Boulanger, comes an unconventional thriller featuring Mel Gibson (Braveheart, Mad Max, The Passion of the Christ) as Elvis, a radio presenter forced to make potentially life-threatening decisions when his phone line is taken over by a sinister caller, played by Kevin Dillon (Entourage, A Day to Die, Platoon). A gripping mind game ensues, as Elvis attempts to save his families’ lives, and guess the identity of the mystery caller.
Review
On The Line tells the story of legandary late night shock radio host Elvis (Gibson) as he puts on his ever popular twilight call in show answering questions of all kinds from callers, but this certain night is different as one particular call takes a dramatic turn for the worse sending Elvis’s whole life into darkness. As the film unfolds you begin to find out that this caller has a grudge with Elvis that has been burning away at him with the built up resentment and aggression making him take matters into his own hands and get the ultimate payback, he wants to ruin Elvis right to the very core as he lays the blame for his girlfriend’s suicide directly at the door of Elvis.
Director Romauld Boulanger creates an action thriller like nothing I’ve previously seen taking what you think you will expect from a standard Mel Gibson thriller and putting it all into a blender leaving you bemused at the outcome. Throughout the film there is plenty of bantering between the characters on screen that creates an on screen chemistry that works really well between them all and builds a level of realism and believability to the story. I was personally impressed by the rawness of Gibson’s performance as Elvis, portraying this radio icon at the twilight stage of his career, the arrogance and overall disregard of his colleagues is kind of endearing and as much as you know you probably should hate him you just can’t.
I think Kevin Dillon was a great choice to play the villain of the piece, the mystery caller I think he carries the role off well and helps create that tense atmosphere between the two main characters.
As much as I really enjoyed the bulk of the film the huge twist at the end kind of killed it off for me as it changed the direction of the film in a completely different way, I would have personally enjoyed the film more if the twist didn’t happen and it carried on the way it was going. I won’t go into detail of the twist at the end as if you haven’t seen it yet then it will spoil the first time response to it.
Verdict
I felt the big change of direction killed off what would have been a great thriller film, take out that ending and keep rolling the main story then you would’ve had a pretty decent film. Fully watchable but wouldn’t give it a rewatch.
⭐⭐⭐
