Every actor eventually has a dud or two amongst their filmography, sometimes due to script issues, faulty direction, or any other manner of reasons that lead to an end product simply not living up to what was first envisioned. Both Judah Lewis (The Babysitter films, Suitable Flesh) and Josh Stewart (The Collector, Insidious: The Last Key) could be considered certified scream kings of the horror genre. So that begs the question: what happened with Lifeline? While not a total misfire, this predictable mystery/thriller sports an intriguing premise, yet fails to deliver an end product worthy of its lead actors. The type of film that leaves your mind shortly after it concludes, Lifeline flatly executes a twist that has unfortunately already been done to death.
Steven (Stewart) has been having recurring dreams of the Red Palms Motel, neon-lit and puzzling. Nevertheless, as his wife heads off to a girl’s New Years Eve Bash and his son spends the night with some friends, Steven heads into work a shift as a suicide hotline operator. He will be mostly alone throughout the night, manning the phones. What could possibly go wrong outside of the norm? We spend a couple phone calls getting used to Steven’s tactics at helping walk people off the metaphorical edge. And then he receives a call that will rattle the quiet calm of his remaining hours. The voice claims to be the younger version of Steven (Lewis), wielding a gun, and promising that in just three hours, he will “blow his brains out.”
At first, Steven assumes this other caller may be his son playing a prank, but the truth could be much more interesting. The call itself triggers latent memories of familial abuse that both Stevens were forced to face at the mercy of their awful father. Adult Steven begins to spiral, fixed on concepts of doppelgängers and multiverses. At a brisk hour-and-twenty-minutes, Lifeline never overstays its welcome, and frankly gets to the point quite quickly. Stewart gives an assured performance a bit more laid back than his typically high-strung character quirks. Lewis’s work mostly consists of vocals-only calls despite being a prominent force on the cover. At its best, Lifeline reminded me of the tense Jake Gyllenhaal emergency call center thriller, The Guilty. However, the fact remains that making a series of phone calls visually exciting in any way is something of a fool’s errand. Director Feras Alfuqaha still manages an admirable job with mixing it up, even if the end product leaves much to be desired. It almost feels like the setup of a television pilot instead of a movie proper.
While Lifeline has strong performances and some compelling moments, it falls short due to its predictable twist and overdone concept. The emotional weight sometimes emerges, but the story feels too familiar. Ultimately unremarkable, the film is altogether decent, if slight. Both Judah Lewis and Josh Stewart are great actors, so knowing this ahead of time actually brought it down in my eyes—there could have been more effort made to add depth, or even higher stakes. Lifeline manages to entertain even through the eye-rolling obviousness of its conclusion. The time may have come to hang up the call center mystery dramas, at least semi-permanently.
Dial up for support when Lifeline crosses wires in select theaters and Digital On Demand on Friday, February 21st.
