Tribeca 2023

"The Line" is a pronounced takedown of toxic frat boy culture starring Alex Wolf as a sophomore Tom Backster in his KNA fraternity as he and his brothers welcome in the new pledges. Tom appears well-established in his fraternity and potentially in line for fraternity president in the future. Still, he faces challenges when his morality doesn't coalesce with that of his frat brothers. How much is Tom willing to sacrifice for access to the privileges his good old boys' club affords him? Employing a fake Southern drawl seems harmless enough, but what happens when the stakes get bigger? When Tom starts dating Annabelle (Halle Bailey), and his best friend wants to take hazing the new pledges to the next level, he must decide if he can continue to fall in line. 

It's a compelling drama, even if it's not touching on anything new. I wish they had taken the Tom and Annabelle relationship drama further. There's a scene in which Annabelle asks Tom to invite her back to his Frat. Tom deflects, but it would have been great to see how Tom would have handled that situation. Bailey was excellent and had a satisfying f🤩k you moment, but her screen time is limited. The supporting cast is solid, with Lewis Pullman, Scoot McNairy, John Malkovich, and Cheri Oteri. The standout performance is probably Bo Mitchell as Tom's best friend and roommate, Mitch Miller. "The Line" is definitely worth checking out, and I hope it finds a distribution deal soon. 

— 3.5 / 5 ⭐