Ethan Berger‘s critically acclaimed narrative filmmaking debut “The Line” has had a long road to the big screen. The feature was in development for decade, with lead star and executive producer Alex Wolff eventually proving instrumental in bringing the dark fraternity thriller to the big screen. The firlm premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival, but even with strong reviews, it wasn’t picked up by distributor Utopia until more than a year later.
Now, almost a year and a half since “The Line” first wowed audiences at Tribeca, the film is getting a national release — and should be required viewing for any college-bound kid or university alum.
Berger, who began his career as an editor before directing commercials and writing ESPN’s mini-series “More Than an Athlete,” writes and directs “The Line.” The drama is set in 2014, and centers on Tom (Wolff), a scholarship student who tries to assimilate by joining a frat. And then things go sideways with the pledges.
The official synopsis reads: “’The Line’ is a campus thriller that plunges into the dangerous world of college fraternities and blind adherence to tradition. Tom (Wolff), a scholarship student desperate to break free from his working-class background, is charmed by the prestigious KNA fraternity’s promises of high social status and alumni connections that open doors. But upon beginning a romance with Annabelle (Halle Bailey) and enduring the manipulative schemes of his fraternity president (Lewis Pullman) during the hazing of new members including Gettys (Austin Abrams), Tom finds himself ensnared in a perilous game of ambition and loyalty.”
Late “Euphoria” star Angus Cloud, Scoot McNairy, Bo Mitchell, and Cheri Oteri also star. Denise Richards and John Malkovich additionally have can’t-miss cameos.
Writer/director Berger previously told IndieWire that Wolff was a “Method actor” for the role. Similarly, Berger said that Abrams was “totally committed” and even shaved his head onscreen for his character. The IndieWire review deemed Abrams “a force onscreen,” with “The Line” billed as one of the “most accurate films about fraternity life ever made.” “The casting feels more like a documentary than a scripted fictional feature,” the review reads. “‘The Line’ is a must-see for a peek behind the coke-filled sheets of fraternities, well, everywhere.”
“The Line” premieres in select theaters on Friday, October 18, with an expansion to follow on Friday, October 25. Check out the trailer below.
