The Overlooked Mel Gibson Thriller Getting A Second Life On Netflix
It's not exactly an untold truth that Mel Gibson tanked his career after making anti-Semitic remarks. A litany of other controversies have materialized over the years, so while Gibson still gets work in Hollywood, it usually courts contention. Many "John Wick" fans refused to watch "The Continental" due to Gibson's involvement, even if he was missing from the trailer. Most of his projects tend to fly under the radar, which appears to have been the case for 2022's "On the Line," which is now getting a good deal of attention on Netflix.
FlixPatrol indicates that "On the Line" was the second most-watched movie on the streaming platform in the United States on March 26. The film only grossed $743,349 globally in theaters in 2022, but people may be more willing to watch it from the comfort of their homes. The movie sees Gibson play Elvis Cooney, a controversial radio host in a twisted game with a man who takes his family hostage.
Gibson's Elvis is known for his mean-spirited pranks, which have put him in the crosshairs of a dangerous foe. He's a rotten jerk who revels in shock value, which seems like a perfect character for the actor to play at this point in his career.
On the Line's ending may throw viewers for a loop
"On the Line" didn't make much of an impression on critics when it came out. Rotten Tomatoes accumulated 25 reviews for the movie, with only 20% being positive. Most found it to be a middling affair, including Terry Staunton of Radio Times, who wrote, "The acting is across-the-board woeful, with Gibson all-but sleepwalking through his role, and the preposterous denouement serves only to compound viewers' suspicions that the whole affair has been a waste of their time." If people aren't talking about the overall quality, they may be too focused on the absolutely bonkers finale of the movie. What follows are spoilers for the ending of "On the Line," if one cares about that kind of thing.
The events of the film turn out to be one big prank Elvis was playing on the show's new intern, Dylan (William Moseley). Even the rest of Elvis' staff is in on it, so no one really dies during the film. Things appear to take another twist when Dylan falls down some stairs after the big reveal and dies, horrifying Elvis. However, to add another twist on top of that, Dylan turns out to be fine, and everything is an elaborate prank the crew pulls on Elvis. It becomes a Russian nesting doll of pranks where nothing of merit transpires.
At the end of the day, it doesn't sound like one of Mel Gibson's best movies. But it's available to watch now on Netflix along with another critically-panned Gibson movie, "Force of Nature."