In “On the Line,” Gibson plays a late-night radio DJ in Los Angeles named Elvis Cooney (I know, I know), a figure known for his foul tirades and shocking on-air rants. He’s like Don Imus or any number of other shock jocks that emerge in the pop consciousness every few years. While on the air, Elvis receives a call from “Gary” (Paul Spera), a man who claims to have taken his wife and daughter hostage. Gary, through threats, forces Elvis to confess his crimes on the air, including the affair Elvis had with a co-worker, and his part in another co-worker’s self-inflicted death. Perhaps part of the appeal of “On the Line” is watching an actor known for his bad behavior expressing contrition.
Elvis eventually finds that Gary is actually calling from inside the studio building, and a cat-and-mouse game commences with Elvis scoring the building looking for the hostage-taker. But then there is a further twist, followed by another, and another. The action in the film is recontextualized several times. Without giving too much away, I should remind readers that Elvis is a massive troll. As Pauline Adamek’s review in FilmInk noted, the entire film is a protracted trolling exercise.
“On the Line” wasn’t terribly well-reviewed, currently sporting a mere 20% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 25 reviews. The film was only given a tiny theatrical release, giving it a $112,081 take at the box office. It is, however, finding new life, at least for the week, on Netflix. The film’s sudden popularity may be a case of audiences clicking out of curiosity, wondering what Gibson has been up to since his blackballing.
As of this writing, Gibson is slated to direct “Flight Risk” starring Mark Wahlberg.
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