ON THE LINE (2022) - Movie Review

Ian and David hop in the booth, pump up the volume, and turn into a coupla real cranks with their review of Romuauld Boulanger's new radio-themed thriller, ON THE LINE!
Mel Gibson stars as Elvis Cooney, a late-night L.A. shock jock who receives a threatening call on the air. Over the next several hours, he embarks on a cat-and-mouse game as a crazed listener kidnaps his family, murders his co-workers, and forces the boisterous host to reveal his darkest secrets to the world.
In this spoiler-packed autopsy, the guys switch stations on ON THE LINE, lambasting what it is while imagining what it could have been. From missed opportunities, to performances ranging from ham-handed to uninspired, and a double-whammy twist that will have you throwing stereos from moving cars--this takedown is almost as painful to deliver as the movie is to watch.
Not to worry, though: the show winds down with a casual and totally non-controversial defense of Mel Gibson.
Show Links
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Watch the ON THE LINE trailer:
• ON THE LINE Trailer (2...
Read David's ON THE LINE written review at Keeping it Reel:
keeping-it-ree...
Watch Ian and David's interview with the Nelms brothers, co-creators of FATMAN (starring Mel Gibson, mentioned in the show):
• Naughty or Nelms? An i...
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[@YNOTSWRLD]

The ending completely ruined this movie for me. Personally I think it makes the movie worthless, what does the conclusion add to the film? There is no lesson learned, there is no grand finale, there is no tension. This movie would have been decent if it had just been a real killer/antagonist but they decided to try and give it a good twist that was really just a huge let down.

[@carsondenny1986]

Just curious - did you see the Florida project?

[@iainrobb2076]

Just watched it. It's a missed opportunity. Perfectly enjoyable up until the end, where it just throws everything away on a preposterous double twist ending, the second part of which you can see coming a mile off after the initial revelation. It's perhaps the worst twist ending in the history of movies; it completely annihilates retrospective appreciation of the rest of the film. It makes it feel as if you've wasted your time viewing it; who seriously thought of that ending and thought it was a good way to close the film?

[@Xanifur]

Just watched this. Pontypool was far more interesting. Having this be a social statement about pranks and social engineering is pretty damn farfetched. The writers got too far up their asses with ideas, it didn't work at all. They want you to believe this is really happening, the police are at his house! Not one officer showing up at the station within minutes just completely breaks the non-existent suspense of belief. You know something is wrong and it shambles into a double twist.

[@rupman27isback]

Finally came across a review of this movie but 51 mins long for a review!?!? 😒

[@Bubba.mitchell4603]

I’m gonna come in late but I just saw it on Netflix and I’m fucking pissed. The ratings shit and I get why. I’m going to do a movie review after Easter and shit yah know. And it wouldn’t be 51 minutes.

[@rupman27isback]

@@Bubba.mitchell4603 haha cool.. i remember trying to get past the first 15 mins or so and i turned it off lol

[@Bubba.mitchell4603]

@@rupman27isback I wish it was that easy tonight, I could have actually had time for myself that I wouldn’t have regretted

[@tahnaiyarussell]

It explains why Gary's acting was so corny. That stood out to me immediately. It did feel like a complete waste of energy. The beginning with the crazy guy made no sense.

[@bpuryea]

It was a solid middle of the road effort until the "Big It's Really Not a Surprise" ending, and then the other ending. Stupid

[@ik1llpeeple4fun]

I had similar thoughts lol.

[@lpr5269]

I believe the director's last name is pronounced "boolawnzhay" It means "Baker" in French.

[@rboltin82]

But couldn’t you fabricate all those noises with machines and I think cops would be OK with it if they actually didn’t have to get involved that’s why there would be no crowd of onlookers or anything and you could just in hire any person to show up in a cop uniform I mean, I didn’t see the movie I’m just going based on what you said in the review you could coincidentally do all that depending on what kind of drone it is, you can preset them, so nobody has to even control it

[@carsondenny1986]

The prank was also on the listenership. So the cops would’ve been receiving many phone calls for hours, as well as potentially having vigilantes come to the studio. I don’t think the cops would’ve been OK with it at all. And yeah, I did watch it.

[@magnumopus9631]

damn i enjoyed the film,and i like radio films also pontypool was a great odd little film too