As a thriller that balances intense action with emotional thoughts, Line of Duty is an in-your-face thriller that will sink you deep into a race against time and has a high stake. It is the story of a disgraced cop Frank Penny who is plagued by his misdeeds in the past after he accidentally killed a suspect. By joining in a chase and killing the principal kidnapper, Penny puts the life of a child, namely, the daughter of his ex-boyfriend, Tom Volk, in danger. Having only 64 minutes to save a girl who drowns in a hidden water tank, the mission of redemption Penny undergoes turns into a desperate and ethically unclear one. The fact that he decides to turn rogue and enlist the assistance of young vlogger Ava Brooks, who shares every action he takes on her live stream, gives the story a new spin by highlighting the effectiveness and dangerousness of live-streamed information in the digital era.
The movie is as visual with kinetic camera work and racing music score which increases the tension. The action is unremitting, and the character-building scenes are subtly mixed with the sequences that make the adrenaline run. Aaron Eckhart is a great actor portraying the character of Penny and his inner conflict of a man who wants to redeem his sin but encounters insurmountable challenges. The character of Ava played by Courtney Eaton creates a new dynamic vision, forming an improbable friendship that highlights the idea of faith and strength in the middle of the mayhem. The story is anchored by the gritty production design and real-life police procedures that make the stakes in the story seem real and immediate.
The most striking thing was that the film raised the theme of moral ambiguity and the price of redemption. The ruthless quest of justice by Penny compels the viewers to think exactly how far one must go to ensure that he does not only correct the wrong but goes way beyond what is wrong, and whether the good is worth the morally ambiguous means in this quest. Though the plot can be predictable in some aspects, the emotional depth and provocative themes take the Line of Duty out of the ordinary action thriller. It is a fairly tense and emotional movie that makes a strong impression in regard to the issue of sacrifice, morality, and human strength.
