“On the Line”

Movie Review

Mel Gibson, William Moseley, and Alia Seror-O'Neill appear in Romuald Boulanger's scripted and directed film "On the Line." The movie's narrative involves a host taking a call during which an unidentified individual threatens to kill the showman's entire family in real time. The radio host is forced to participate in a survival game where the only way to win is to identify the culprit in order to save loved ones.

California shock jock Elvis Cooney abandons his wife and child to work the midnight shift at KLAT. At the beginning of his shift, he plays a practical joke on Dylan, the new intern. Along with Mary, his switchboard operator, Elvis manages his radio show. Elvis gets a call from Gary after being on the radio for a bit, saying that he is holding his wife and daughters, Adria and Olivia, hostage in his home. Gary threatens to harm Elvis' family after Elvis threatens to fire him from the show.

Gary continues by saying that Lauren, a former switchboard operator, committed suicide as a result of Elvis' attitude and nasty remarks directed at her. Elvis finally confesses to having slept with Mary on air thanks to Gary. He is then instructed to climb to the roof and jump. Following are Dylan, Mary, and studio employee Steven. Dylan tries to con Gary into thinking Elvis has jumped over the roof, but something is being recorded outside by a drone. Then, when Elvis hears two gunshots, he assumes his family has perished.

Gary's voice may be heard over the studio's speakers as he exits, stating that his family is still alive and is present inside the structure. Elvis finally understands that Gary was in the studio the entire time and sent him on an errand to buy him time to kill the security guard at the entrance, hide inside, and set off the building's explosion. Elvis has 40 minutes to find him before everyone passes away, according to Gary. Elvis and Dylan search the building for Gary, Olivia, and Adria while on their way. They cross paths with Tony along the way, an old acquaintance of Elvis who has been covertly stealing computers from the structure. Elvis is told to kill Gary, but Gary lets him go and they continue.

Gary discloses that he can see them through the security cameras when they are taken to a fictitious hiding area. Elvis guides Dylan to the control room, where they discover Justin with a bullet in his skull rather than Gary, via a route free of surveillance cameras. Gary then says that he is currently in a confined Mary and Steven at a recording studio. Elvis and Dylan successfully add 10 more minutes to the clock and then take a different, covert path back to the studio. They find Tony hanging by the neck in the hallway when they get upstairs.

Gary reveals that he is in possession of a dead man's switch and that Olivia and Adria are on the terrace wearing explosive vests. Elvis is able to capture Gary with a box cutter. A member of the LAPD SWAT team named Bruce then calls Gary to report that he is on the terrace and unable to deactivate the explosives. Gary then demands a trade: Dylan takes the place of Olivia and Adria and is free.

Bruce is coerced into complying, and with Gary's assistance, he deactivates the vests and carries them down to the studio, where he activates them on Dylan. Then, as everyone watches in terror, Gary shoots Bruce in the head and drops the dead man's switch, but nothing happens.

Elvis and Gary then broke into laughter and embraces as everyone who had been presumed dead came back to life. Dylan is astonished and appalled when it is later revealed that the entire incident was a studio-wide practical joke. Dylan doesn't say anything as he walks away after Elvis finishes his explanation. Dylan is being pursued out the door by Elvis and his team, who are holding the microphone out to him. Dylan cracks his head open as he falls backward down the steps and appears to pass away instantly.

Elvis leaves the studio the following morning in tears and declares that he is done with radio. Then it is revealed that Dylan, whose true name is Max, is a stunt performer who staged his own demise as part of a radio station-wide joke to honor Elvis's birthday, which he claimed no one remembered. Elvis is relieved to see that Dylan/Max is still alive and playfully warns his coworkers that his retaliation prank will be even worse.

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