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.

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

Plot

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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

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Production

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

Reception

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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]

References

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  1. ^ a b Harvey, Dennis (16 November 2019). "Film Review: 'Line of Duty'". Variety.
  2. ^ a b 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.
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