If you’ve seen On the Line (2022), I get your anger. I share the same frustration too. Starring Mel Gibson in a performance that looks back at his good-old days of rugged charm, this Romuald Boulanger film builds up the tension up to a point. It then releases it in such an agonizingly insipid manner that you are left wondering, “Did this really just happen?” The less said, the better in this film, but there’s exactly where the problem lies. It cheats the audience’s attention and investment in the film’s entire duration of more than 90 minutes.
There’s a practical introduction that sets the ball rolling, and we see Gibson as Elvis, a radio host who works overnight with his switchboard operator Mary (Alia Seror O’Neill), listening to folks share their anxieties and fears over the live call and in turn giving them some advice in return. A new hire named Dylan (William Moseley) doesn’t quite know how to deal with Elvis’s whims. It all seems like another night at the show when they receive a call from a man named Gary (Paul Spera), who has a lot of surprises in store for Elvis and his team, that he unleashes one by one.
On the Line (2022) starts with fine strength and sets the tone for what’s going to come. If you have yet to see the film, don’t read ahead, as it contains heavy spoilers. That being said, let us take a deep look at the ending of On the Line. Happy reading!
On the Line (2022) Plot Summary and Movie Synopsis
On the Line starts off with a scene that slyly reveals the entire film. Elvis is playing with his daughter in a manner that feels like something is wrong from a distance. There is blood, and the camera leans in to show that it is actually the doll Elvis is play-acting with, so there’s no need to worry. Elvis then leaves for work, kissing his wife goodbye. At the office, his behavior is a little aggressive as he is told that his show is not doing well. There is no buzz around it, nothing to keep the audience hooked. On top of that, his last social media post was three months ago, so he better work on that too.
Given all these reflections, Elvis moves forward with the night’s routine and takes the show live. His matter-of-fact attitude towards his callers fits in quite well until it doesn’t. We get a playful glimpse of his jest with Dylan, which doesn’t go that well. Then, there is the call that threatens to alter their lives forever. As the film moves ahead with gripping tension, On the Line cuts to a chase of a thriller. Who is Gary? Are his actions indicative of a consequence of Elvis’s past? How will they survive? These are some of the questions surrounding On the Line’s proceedings.
On the Line (2022) Ending, Explained
Who is Gary?
The tension surrounding Elvis and Dylan builds up to a stratospheric level where it comes to the point that Dylan has to be the one wearing the jacket containing the bomb and sacrifice himself if he wants to save the rest. Just as the moment arrives, it is revealed that this entire incident was a planned joke orchestrated by Elvis and the rest of the talk show team. There is no death either; the guard and the other host are still alive. The blood was fake, and so were the phone calls and threats. This was a good way to build up tension and catch hold of the listener’s attention. Now that the mission is successfully done, there will be more media coverage surrounding the show, and that would result in more attention towards the show. That was exactly what was intended. Dylan is stunned with disbelief that he had to endure the horrific and anxiety-inducing ride in the name of a joke and walks away silently. As the others continue laughing, he stares back at them and falls back on the stairs, banging his head on the wall.
What happens to Dylan?
It is reported that Dylan is in the hospital, and the media has surrounded the office. Elvis is deeply ashamed of the joke and how exaggerated it is. His wife comes to pick him up from the back door, where she shouts at him for never knowing when to stop. Now that his career is over, what does he want more? No one will give him work, and it is all over for him. Elvis is on the verge of tears when his wife closes the car door, and a familiar face turns back from the driver’s seat; why it is Dylan himself! It turns out that he was not hurt and wanted to give Elvis a taste of his own medicine. So he orchestrated this part of the farce with the rest of the team. The film ends with all of them together having a good laugh.
By the time On the Line ends with one of the worst endings of all time, no one is in the slightest mood to laugh. On the contrary, it immediately makes you feel desperate to leave. The entire denouement of the film that builds on the suspense only to vomit it out as an exaggerated joke is the most nonsensical conclusion I have seen in a film in quite some time. It is ridiculous from a narrative standpoint and hides a blatant disregard for the audience’s investment in the characters and the film. There is no sense in how On the Line goes to lengths to shock and entice its viewers with gruesome threats and manipulation only to have a good laugh at the end. If none of this was true, what was the point of including it for all this while? There is no denying the pointlessness of the film. It is bound to make you angry and scream in disbelief, wanting to get the two hours back.
