Alex Wolff and Ethan Berger Talk Campus Hazing Drama – Drunk Critics Slam

Premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last year, The line (review here) is a raw, gut-wrenching thriller that tackles a topic that has been making headlines for years: the underbelly of fraternity culture and the many college hazing scandals. Writer/director Ethan Berger and star Alex Wolff delve deep into the traditions of the fraternity and discover an ugliness at its core, a rot that has spread and had lasting effects in every aspect of the American system. But it all starts in the sorority houses, where eager pledges, many of them rich kids but some of them not, long for a 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 of when Wolff was interested in the film, and that was before COVID. Berger assembled a group of rising stars, including Wolff, Lewis Pullman, Halle Bailey, the late Angus Cloud, Austin Abrams and Bo Mitchell, and ultimately shot the film in 2022 during COVID restrictions. More than a year after its premiere, the film finally opens in theaters this week and will continue a busy period for Wolff. He was seen last year Susie Search, A Quiet Place: Day One, A good personand a little film you may have heard of is called Oppenheimer.

In The lineWolff plays Tom Backster, a working-class boy who has risen into the ranks of a prestigious fictional fraternity. He’s more than willing to endure the casual racism, toxic masculinity, and bullying that comes with it, while also changing to better fit in with his brothers. But when a potential romance enters his life and tragedy strikes one of his promises, Tom is forced to reconsider what matters most to him.

I had the opportunity to talk to Alex Wolff and Ethan Berger about it The linewhich opens on October 18th. We talked about the origins of the film and Berger’s interest in fraternity culture. Wolff and Berger talked about the extensive research they did in preparation, which included a deep dive into an actual brotherhood to see how they really work. We also talked about the reasons why young men continue to pledge and the systemic impact we believe fraternities have had on America.

This was a great conversation with Wolff and Berger, and I thank both of them for their time. Check out the interview below!