Premiering last year at the Tribeca Film Festival, The Line (review here)is a raw, unnerving thriller that looks at an issue that has been making headlines for years: the dark side of fraternity culture and the many hazing scandals in college universities. Writer/director Ethan Berger and star Alex Wolff dug deep into fraternity traditions and found an ugliness at the core, a rot that has spread and had a long-lasting impact in every aspect of the American system. But it all begins in the frat houses, where eager pledges, many of them rich kids but some who are not, long for connection and are willing to do anything or become anyone, to find it.
The Line has been a long time coming. I remember the story when Wolff became attached to the film and that was pre-COVID. Berger rounded up a cast of rising stars, including Wolff, Lewis Pullman, Halle Bailey, the late Angus Cloud, Austin Abrams, and Bo Mitchell, and finally shot it in 2022 during COVID restrictions. More than a year after its premiere, the film is finally opening in theaters this week and will continue a busy stretch for Wolff. Over the last year, he’s been seen in Susie Searches, A Quiet Place: Day One, A Good Person, and a little film you might’ve heard of called Oppenheimer.
In The Line, Wolff plays Tom Backster, a blue-collar kid who has risen in the ranks of a prestigious fictional fraternity. He’s more than willing to endure the casual racism, toxic masculinity, and hazing that go along with it, all while changing himself to better fit in with his brothers. But when a potential romance enters his life, and tragedy strikes one of the pledges, Tom is forced to rethink what matters most to him.
I had a chance to speak with Alex Wolff and Ethan Berger about The Line, which opens on October 18th. We talked about the origins of the film and Berger’s interest in fraternity culture. Wolff and Berger spoke about the extensive research they did in preparation, which included going deep inside an actual fraternity to see how they truly operate. We also talked about the reasons why young men continue to pledge, and what we think the systemic impact of fraternities has been on America.
This was a great conversation with Wolff and Berger, and I thank them both for their time. Check out the interview below!
