Line of Duty (film)

Last updated
Line of Duty
Line of Duty (film) poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Steven C. Miller
Written byJeremy Drysdale
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyBrandon Cox
Edited byStan Selfas
Music by The Newton Brothers
Production
companies
  • Solution Entertainment Group
  • Hassik Films
  • Ingenious Media
  • Sentient Pictures
  • Sprockefeller Pictures
Distributed by Saban Films
Release date
  • November 15, 2019 (2019-11-15) [1] [2]
Running time
98 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$640,363 [3]

Line of Duty is a 2019 American action thriller film directed by Steven C. Miller and written by Jeremy Drysdale. It stars Aaron Eckhart, Courtney Eaton, Dina Meyer, Ben McKenzie and Giancarlo Esposito.

Contents

Plot

Frank Penny (Aaron Eckhart) is a police officer who loves his job and keeps himself fit like a soldier. Nevertheless, his career has stagnated because he killed a child in a dramatic shootout. This means he has a lot of time to monitor traffic offenses and other "small stuff" at an intersection.
He hears over the radio that colleagues are chasing a man, and because he is nearby, he gives chase – against the orders of his superior. He catches the man, and because he threatens him with a gun despite repeated warnings, he shoots him in self-defense.
Unfortunately, the man was the main suspect and the only lead in a kidnapping case, so there is now no way of getting the hostage's whereabouts out of him. And to make matters worse, the hostage is the little daughter of his ex-partner Tom Volk (Giancarlo Esposito), who is now Police Vice-Captain! He holds Penny personally responsible for endangering the life of his missing daughter. The headstrong police officer wants to make up for his mistake, however, because there are 64 minutes left before the girl drowns in a hidden water tank.
From now on, Penny has to fend for herself, but he is unexpectedly joined by the ambitious young online reporter Ava Brooks (Courtney Eaton). She senses the chance of a lifetime and follows the cop with her camera, which she uses to broadcast a live stream. Penny reluctantly comes to terms with the young woman who offers him her help.
Ava can always provide new information via her followers. But time is running out! They both join forces to try to find out where the girl is. They find out that the dead kidnapper had a brother who could lead Penny to the missing girl. But he only wants one thing: revenge for his brother. [4]

Cast

Production

Principal photography and filming took place in Birmingham, Alabama. [5]

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 59% based on 17 reviews, with an average rating of 4.9/10. [6] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 50 out of 100, based on reviews from 5 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [7]

Dennis Harvey of Variety called it "High on energy if low on credibility." [1] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "Fortunately, the new actioner directed by the prolific Steven C. Miller […] proves fast-paced enough to overcome its more ludicrous plot elements." [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Eckhart</span> American actor (born 1968)

Aaron Edward Eckhart is an American actor. Born in Cupertino, California, Eckhart moved to the United Kingdom at an early age. He began his acting career by performing in school plays, before moving to Australia for his high school senior year. He left high school without graduating, but earned a diploma through a professional education course, and then graduated from Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah, in 1994 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giancarlo Esposito</span> American actor (born 1958)

Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Gus Fring in the AMC crime drama series Breaking Bad, from 2009 to 2011, as well as in its prequel series Better Call Saul, from 2017 to 2022. For this role, he won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (2012) and earned three nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

<i>Amos & Andrew</i> 1993 film by E. Max Frye

Amos & Andrew is a 1993 American buddy action-comedy film directed and written by E. Max Frye and starring Nicolas Cage and Samuel L. Jackson. The film's title parodies that of the sitcom Amos 'n' Andy, while the premise is akin to that of The Defiant Ones. Shot in and around Wilmington, North Carolina in 1992, the film concerns wealthy African-American playwright Andrew Sterling's (Jackson) purchase of a summer home on a predominantly white island and the problems that arise when he is mistaken for a criminal. It was released to box office failure, grossing just under $10 million domestically, and receiving generally negative reviews from critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven C. Miller</span> American film director, screenwriter and film editor

Steven C. Miller is an American screenwriter, editor, and director. His feature film debut, Automaton Transfusion, became an instant cult classic and catapulted his career into Hollywood. He directed the remake of Silent Night, Deadly Night in 2012 and then shifted from horror to action. He has directed films starring notable actors such as Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Aaron Eckhart, Giancarlo Esposito, and Dave Bautista.

<i>Rabbit Hole</i> (2010 film) 2010 film directed by John Cameron Mitchell

Rabbit Hole is a 2010 American drama film directed by John Cameron Mitchell and written by David Lindsay-Abaire, based on his 2006 play of the same name. The film stars Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart as a grieving couple coping with the death of their four-year-old son. It also stars Dianne Wiest, Tammy Blanchard, Giancarlo Esposito, Jon Tenney, Sandra Oh and Miles Teller in his film debut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jai Courtney</span> Australian actor (born 1986)

Jai Stephen Courtney is an Australian actor. Born and raised in Sydney, Courtney started his career as a teenager with small roles in film and television, and studied acting at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. After early supporting roles in Hollywood projects, he gained recognition for playing Dauntless leader Eric Coulter in The Divergent Series (2014–2015), Kyle Reese in Terminator Genisys (2015), and supervillain Captain Boomerang in the DC Extended Universe films Suicide Squad (2016), The Suicide Squad (2021), and The Flash (2023). He received praise for his performance as a corrupt debt collector and the main antagonist in the independent film Buffaloed (2019).

<i>I, Frankenstein</i> 2014 film by Stuart Beattie

I, Frankenstein is a 2014 American science fantasy action film written and directed by Stuart Beattie, based on the digital-only graphic novel by Kevin Grevioux. An international co-production between the United States and Australia, the film was produced by Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi, Richard Wright, Andrew Mason and Sidney Kimmel. It stars Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy, Yvonne Strahovski, Miranda Otto and Jai Courtney. The film tells the story of Adam, Frankenstein's creature, who embarks on a dangerous journey to stop evil demons and their ruthless leader from taking over the world.

<i>Erased</i> (2012 film) 2012 film

Erased is a 2012 Canadian-Belgian action thriller film directed by Philipp Stölzl, starring Aaron Eckhart and Olga Kurylenko. The story centers on Ben Logan an ex-CIA agent and Amy, his estranged daughter who are forced on the run when his employers erase all records of his existence, and mark them both for termination as part of a wide-reaching international conspiracy. It was released in the US on 17 May 2013, following its acquisition by RaDiUS-TWC, the multiplatform distribution label of The Weinstein Company. It was retitled Erased for the US market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courtney Eaton</span> Australian actress (born 1996)

Courtney Jane Eaton is an Australian actress. She began her career as a model before making her acting debut in the 2015 post-apocalyptic action film Mad Max: Fury Road. Eaton next starred in the fantasy action film Gods of Egypt (2016). Since 2021, she has appeared on the Showtime thriller drama series Yellowjackets. She also appeared in Parachute (2023).

<i>Kid Cannabis</i> 2014 American film

Kid Cannabis is a 2014 American biographical comedy-drama film. It is based on the true story of a teen named Nate Norman who dropped out of high school to build a multimillion-dollar marijuana ring by trafficking drugs with his friends through the woods across the US-Canada international border. The film was executive produced by Alan Pao, Datari Turner, Alison Lee, Rosanne Gooding-Silverwood, Mark Silverwood, Bic Tran, Mia Chang, Cain McKnight, and Steve Ware.

<i>Junction</i> (2012 film) 2012 American film

Junction is a 2012 American thriller film written and directed by Tony Glazer. The film stars Neal Bledsoe, Summer Crockett Moore, Tom Pelphrey and Harris Doran with David Zayas, Michael O'Keefe and Anthony Ruivivar in supporting roles.

<i>Poker Night</i> (film) 2014 United States, Canada film

Poker Night, released in the UK as The Joker, is a 2014 crime thriller film that was written and directed by Greg Francis. Released to video on demand on 5 December 2014, it had a limited theatrical release on 20 December. Filmed in British Columbia, Poker Night centers on a rookie detective who attends an annual poker night held by veteran police officers, where each one details how they captured a murder suspect.

The Long Home is an American indie drama film directed by and starring James Franco, based on the 1999 novel of the same name by William Gay. It also stars Josh Hutcherson, Tim Blake Nelson, Courtney Love, Timothy Hutton, Giancarlo Esposito, Ashton Kutcher, Josh Hartnett, Zoe Levin, Lio Tipton, Scott Haze, and Robin Lord Taylor. Principal photography began on May 1, 2015. The film was completed, but no official release has ever been announced.

<i>The Parts You Lose</i> 2019 film directed by Chris Cantwell

The Parts You Lose is a 2019 American-Canadian thriller film starring Aaron Paul and Danny Murphy as a fugitive criminal and a deaf boy who befriend one another. Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Scoot McNairy also star as the boy's parents. The film is directed by Christopher Cantwell based on a screenplay by Darren Lemke. The H Collective financed Gran Via's production of the film. Filming took place in Winnipeg, Canada. The Parts You Lose had its world premiere on March 14, 2019 at the 2019 Sun Valley Film Festival in Sun Valley, Idaho. Samuel Goldwyn Films released the film commercially in the United States on October 4, 2019.

<i>211</i> (film) 2018 film by York Shackleton

211 is a 2018 American crime action film directed by York Shackleton and written by John Rebus, based on a screenplay by Shackleton. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Dwayne Cameron, Alexandra Dinu, Michael Rainey Jr., Sophie Skelton and Ori Pfeffer. Very loosely based on the 1997 North Hollywood shootout, the plot follows a policeman and a teenager who are locked in a violent shootout with heavily-armed bank robbers.

<i>Avengement</i> 2019 action film by Jesse V. Johnson

Avengement is a 2019 action film directed by Jesse V. Johnson who co-wrote the film with Stu Small. The film stars Scott Adkins, Craig Fairbrass and Thomas Turgoose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moff Gideon</span> Fictional character in the Star Wars franchise

Moff Gideon is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise who first appeared in the Disney+ television series The Mandalorian, where he is the main antagonist of its first three seasons. Gideon is the leader of a remnant of the fallen Galactic Empire and wielder of the Darksaber responsible for the Purge of Mandalore, who attempts to capture the young Force sensitive child Grogu, who is being protected by the title character of the series, planning on using Grogu's blood to imbue numerous clones of himself with Force sensitivity.

<i>Mob Town</i> (2019 film) 2019 American crime drama film

Mob Town is a 2019 American crime film written by Jon Carlo and directed by Danny A. Abeckaser starring David Arquette, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Jennifer Esposito, Nick Cordero, Robert Davi and Abeckaser.

<i>Crown Vic</i> (film) 2019 film by Joel Souza

Crown Vic is a 2019 American crime thriller film written and directed by Joel Souza, with Alec Baldwin having served as one of the producers, and stars Thomas Jane, Luke Kleintank, Gregg Bello, David Krumholtz, Bridget Moynahan, Scottie Thompson, and Josh Hopkins. The film focuses on the events during a night shift for veteran LAPD officer Ray Mandel and his trainee Nick Holland. The film's title derives from the Ford Crown Victoria, a car widely used by US police, which the main characters also use.

<i>Kaleidoscope</i> (American TV series) 2023 heist drama miniseries by Eric Garcia

Kaleidoscope is an American heist drama television anthology series created by Eric Garcia. The eight-part series, unique for its shuffled order, centers on master thief Leo Pap and his crew attempting an epic heist worth $7 billion, but betrayal, greed and other threats undermine their plans.

References

  1. 1 2 Harvey, Dennis (16 November 2019). "Film Review: 'Line of Duty'". Variety .
  2. 1 2 Scheck, Frank (14 November 2019). "'Line of Duty': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter .
  3. "Line of Duty (2019)". The Numbers . Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  4. KG, imfernsehen GmbH & Co (2024-08-16). "64 Minutes – Wettlauf gegen die Zeit". fernsehserien.de (in German). Retrieved 2024-07-03.
  5. "Birmingham is the backdrop in 'Line of Duty' movie trailer". November 1, 2019. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  6. "Line of Duty (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  7. "Line of Duty Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved June 30, 2021.