The Red Line Review: Relevance over remarkability
I was really excited to see we got a new Thai thriller on Netflix! It's always nice to not have to go on Viki Rakuten for these. So, did the film live up to my excitement? Or was it the wrong flick to give a wider release to? That's what I, Brighton Nelson of The Reel Ranker, will be discussing in today's review. Thanks so much for joining me today, and I hope you enjoy your time here on the site!
I don't usually start with the positives, but I just feel like it today. First of all, there's no denying that this film has a great premise. A group of women gets scammed and attempts to enact revenge? That's good stuff. It's high concept, relevant, and gripping: easy wins in the premise department.
The performances were also quite solid, and I really bought into them as people who were scammed out of their livelihoods. I enjoyed the characters well enough, too. They weren't anything super fresh or unique, but they weren't bad either. The film was also well-made on a technological level—I can't think of any problems there, except that it isn't doing anything particularly memorable.
Unfortunately, this film's positives really end there. From the very beginning, the story offers very little in the way of mystery or thrills. While the scamming agency was interesting to watch and the highlight of the film's plot, it felt a little like a dollar-store version of The Wolf of Wall Street. While I'm okay with going to the dollar store, you can't buy everything there, which this film unfortunately does. The climax, where they take down the bad guys, isn't particularly impressive either.
The film also struggles to convey the characters' emotions effectively. The opening scene—which honestly should've been cut from the film altogether—is so melodramatic, jarring amid the overly subdued whole. I will admit, I much prefer a little melodrama over characters so subdued that they're devoid of any defining traits... and, here, even the most fun character lacks anything unique. Earlier, I said that I enjoyed the characters enough, which is true; they didn't bother me, but they also didn't give me anything to latch onto.
By the end of the film, I felt it simply struggled to capture the full weight of the horrors in Thailand, and it felt more like a half-baked PSA than anything else. I hate to say this about any film, but it felt more like a government-made infomercial than art. It feels like there's a lack of a creative vision, as well as a lack of rawness with how heavy the topic is. I'm not saying they didn't try their best, but with a better script, a stronger team, and better execution of the premise, the pieces could've come together to become a top-10 film of the year. Yet, as-is, it's an easy bottom 5.
The Reel Ranker Verdict
Reel or Unreel? - Unreel
The Reel Ranker Score: 42%
Letter Score: D
Star Ranking: 2 out of 5
The Red Line has an important message and a strong sociocultural relevance, supported by solid performances and a compelling premise. Still, the film's weak execution leaves it feeling rather emotionless and ultimately forgettable by the time the credits roll.
Interested in checking out my reviews for some other thrillers? Look no further!
Brighton Nelson
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