Movie Review
Mel Gibson hasn’t been in many decent movies over the past few years, so expectations were fairly low when he sat down with his latest thriller On The Line , which debuted on Amazon Prime in some regions.
Gibson plays Los Angeles radio host Elvis Cooney, who we quickly discover is a bit of a prankster when he pulls a cruel prank on Dylan (William Moseley), a new intern to his show. It’s clear from here that he likes to make people feel uncomfortable, but after a few scenes of the movie where we learn just how nasty he can be, the tables turn when he’s targeted by one of the callers.
The caller’s name is Gary, who claims to be holding the show host’s wife and daughter hostage at Cooney’s home. Cooney doesn’t take him seriously at first, but when he hears his family (and a gunshot) on the other end of the line.
Cooney tries to defuse the situation before Gary does the unthinkable, but in the process, secrets about his own past are revealed, and the lives of his colleagues are further endangered.
Gibson gives a good performance as the radio host under pressure, and the first half of the film is actually pretty decent as director and writer Romuald Boulanger manages to pull off the tension nicely. There were moments when I was on the edge of my seat during the verbal exchanges between the narcissistic prankster and the vengeful caller, and thus the film exceeded my initial expectations.
But despite the promising plot, the film gets more and more ridiculous as it goes on. It’s soon revealed that Gary isn’t at Kuni’s house at all, so that ruins the whole story. This plot twist catalyzes a game of cat-and-mouse as Cooney and Dylan try to track down the kidnapper, but these scenes, which shift the focus away from the solitary location of the radio studio, are rarely convincing and they become frustrating. removed the tension that had arisen earlier.
So, despite the cast’s performance, don’t be surprised if your interest in the film eventually begins to wane. Gibson and his co-stars succeed in elevating the material they’re given, but their best efforts are squandered by Boulanger, who fails to bring the film to a satisfying conclusion. There are a few decent sequences in the second half of the film, such as the sequence atop the radio station where Cooney is given a cold-blooded ultimatum, but nothing to match the suspenseful scenes that came before.
Still, the lack of tension in the final act isn’t the film’s biggest problem. As the film draws to a close, there are two major twists, neither of which make much sense. They break every plot point that happened before, and if you’re anything like me, you’re probably deeply disappointed when these twists happen.
There’s nothing wrong with a movie that gives us a surprise ending — The Sixth Sense, Se7en, and the original Planet of the Apes are just a few that are fondly remembered for their final twists — but the revelations in On The Line are infuriating. rather than impress. I was very upset by the film’s resolution, and while I understand why Boulanger ended his story the way he did, you’ll share my anger when the rug is pulled out from under you.
This could have been the movie to bring Mel Gibson back into the spotlight, but instead, it’s another flop that will do little to reignite his waning career. In 2020, Fatman did a lot to regain his favor after a series of critical failures, but has since continued to make poor career choices. He’s not the only aging actor to play paid roles recently—John Travolta, John Cusack, and Nicolas Cage have also sacrificed quality for money—but like those actors, Gibson is a talented actor capable of much more. .
Overall
Ultimately, On The Line is a missed opportunity. This could have been a decent thriller, but after a strong first half, it quickly starts to lose its way. So even if you’re a fan of the lead actor, this is a movie you probably shouldn’t see. If your friend calls you and recommends it to you, that phone call is probably one you should end quickly. If only Gibson had done the same thing when he was offered this movie joke!