“The Line” Review: Alex Wolff and Austin Abrams Face Off

In The Line — the latest film by Ethan Berger, starring Alex Wolff, Lewis Pullman, Halle Bailey, Austin Abrams, Angus Cloud, Scoot McNairy, John Malkovich, Bo Mitchell, and Denise Richards — a group of fraternity brothers experience a turbulent pledge season.

What follows is just what you’d expect: a ton of homophobic and racist language, a culture of privilege, rampant misogyny, and — of course — the ubiquitous, unchecked male aggression. However, there are unexpected moments, too — Halle Bailey’s incandescent (but all too brief) performance, the surprising empathy we feel for Tom (Wolff), and the death that occurs in the third act.

In many ways, it’s a classic movie about fraternities, hazing, and toxic masculinity so it lets its characters off easy. But, in part, that’s the point, too. The film was intensely researched by Berger and his co-writer Alex Russek, which is evident in its attention to crucial details.

It's a visceral portrait sharpened by expertly crafted details. From the familiar frat boy wardrobe, the 2014 soundtrack, and the rich characters, Berger creates a world that feels immediate. Real. And terrifying. The result? A profoundly unsettling movie that will stay with you long after you leave the theater.

It’s about a fictional fraternity — Kappa Nu Alpha — at Sumpter College, a fictional college in the south. It follows Tom (played by Alex Wolff), a lower-income student with a single mother, who is entering his sophomore year. After a summer working a service job in his home state of Florida, Tom’s eager to return to life that being a KNA brother promises: connections, escapism, and a room tricked out with the full “Martha Stewart” treatment and the latest tech, all courtesy of his roommate and best friend, Mitch (Bo Mitchell).

Tom’s friendship with Mitch is central to the film. Mitch’s dad is the owner of Piggly Wiggly and offers Tom an internship proclaiming that it’s important to “align yourself with the best.” While Tom holds the leadership chops important to their frat president, Tom’s deeply insecure about his lack of connections and family money.

This becomes apparent as the new pledge class begins initiation. Soon, Mitch goes to war with a star pledge, Gettys O’Brian (Austin Abrams). Unimpressed by the pledge’s attitude, Mitch lashes out and lights the fuse that forms the film’s central conflict.