This Underrated Brian Cox Drama Is Defying Odds And Dominating Netflix Right Now

«Mending the Line» is about an Afghanistan war veteran John Colter (Sinqua Walls) and his struggles to adapt to civilian life. Suffering from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and wounds from his tour, Colter finds a reluctant savior in Briax Cox’s Ike Fletcher. A fellow veteran, Fletcher introduces Colter to the world of fly fishing as a means of therapy. Set in the serene state of Montana, Colter and Fletcher become friends, with the former finding meaning and purpose through his new pastime. It’s an effective narrative that sheds light on a popular (and therapeutic) hobby. 

While speaking with Field & Stream, director Joshua Caldwell opened up about why he wanted to tell a military story through the lens of fly fishing. «In some ways, it was because there are so few films that feature it,» he said, adding, «The challenge with fly fishing is: What’s the story? […] Fly fishing is the vehicle by which we tell the story.» When Caldwell got his hands on Stephen Camelio’s script, he thought it would be interesting to add fly-fishing elements to the military script. Camelio obliged, as he too is an avid fly fisher. 

A number of «Succession» stars found Cox’s on-set behavior to be scary, but the actor was nothing but a sweetheart on the set of «Mending the Line» according to the director. «He’s just really the sweetest guy … and I think that he was so taken with the script. He doesn’t often do these types of movies, but he did it because of the script,» Caldwell told MovieWeb.