The Line (Utopia) is a frat movie that comes off as an antithesis of frat movies from decades ago. This isn’t a raunchy comedy about college hijinks and no happy ending. It’s a grounded portrayal of what can go wrong with the indoctrination and extreme traditions in which some fraternities participate. The issue is that despite solid acting, this grounded approach doesn’t bring much bite to its cautionary tale.
The story takes in 2014 when the dangers of frat culture were widely discussed and some colleges started taking specific measures against it. Tom Backster, played by Alex Wolff, is entering his second year of college as a fraternity member. He and his best friend Mitch are now able to order a new batch of pledges to go through the same pains they did. Tom and the fraternity president are also called into the new dean's office and told they can no longer haze new members due to numerous past violations.
Most of the scenes in the first half of the movie just show Tom and his frat brothers drinking and snorting cocaine. Tensions grow when one of the new candidates insults Mitch, who has a fragile ego and can’t take revenge on him, because the president has taken a liking to him.
All the characters seem realistic -- the problem is they don’t have much to do for two-thirds of the film. The acting is solid, the writing believable, but there’s not a lot to draw the audience in. Tom struggles with his loyalty to Mitch and the president who advises him to cut Mitch from his life.
The real drama sets in when the fraternity goes on a retreat and some members decide to resume the hazing rituals, because they had to endure them too. An accident happens, at which point the story starts to pick up -- but then the movie rushes to a tepid ending. If it had trimmed the fat and the climax had happened closer to the midpoint, it would have made for a compelling second half.
For a film that tries to show the ugly side of fraternities, the content in The Line is rater tame. The hazing scene shows frat members spinning the pledges around and asking them trivia questions before whacking them with a paddle. The indoctrination, violence, and mob mentality that The Line tries to demonstrate make fraternities look more moronic than dangerous. It shows the problems of gathering fragile male egos together and the silly and inflated self-importance frats can have.
This measured approach makes for a film that keeps your attention with the solid performances of its actors, but fails to make a lasting memorable experience. The ingredients are all there, but the execution lacks conviction.
Author Bio
Ulises Duenas is a senior writer and film critic at Highbrow Magazine.
For Highbrow Magazine