Film Review: Dead Man's Wire (8.5/10)

All for a plot of land.

Dead Man's Wire is a 2025 American crime thriller film directed by the legendary Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Elephant) and written by Austin Kolodney. The film benefits immensely from the involvement of historical consultants Alan Berry and Mark Enochs, who produced the 2018 documentary Dead Man's Line, which examined the exact same events.

Inspired by the infamous 1977 hostage standoff involving Tony Kiritsis, the film is a masterclass in tension. It stars Bill Skarsgård in a transformative role as Kiritsis, leading an incredible ensemble cast that includes Dacre Montgomery, Cary Elwes, Myha'la, Colman Domingo, and the icon himself, Al Pacino. It is a film that asks: how far would you go if you felt the system was rigged against you?

STORY (2/2)

The movie begins on a freezing Tuesday, February 8, 1977, in Indianapolis. Tony Kiritsis (Skarsgård) arrives at the Meridian Mortgage company, a man on the edge. Having made an appointment with wealthy mortgage broker M.L. Hall, who has conveniently left on vacation, Tony is met by M.L.’s son, Richard (Dacre Montgomery), instead.

What happens next is the stuff of nightmares. Tony holds Richard at gunpoint and wires a sawed-off shotgun to the young man's neck. It is a "dead man’s switch," rigged with wire so that if the gun is pulled away, or if Tony is shot, the trigger pulls automatically. Believing the Hall family cheated him after he bought land to develop, Tony is determined to expose them. He notifies the police that he has taken Richard prisoner, demanding a public apology and millions in compensation.

Marching his hostage outside into the winter streets, he is confronted by the police—including several of his own drinking buddies, adding a bizarre layer of intimacy to the standoff. Tony commandeers a police car, forcing Richard to drive them to Tony’s apartment, followed by a cavalcade of authorities as well as TV reporter Linda Page (Myha'la) and her camera crew.

Throughout the film, I was intrigued by the sheer unpredictability of the outcome. Even if you know the history, the film makes you question if the victim will survive. From the beginning, it starts off as a slow burn only to quickly escalate when Tony secures his human shield. It captures the chaos of a three-day nightmare that glued America to its television screens. Surprisingly, it does have some funny moments that hit their mark, providing brief relief during those serious moments as the timeline shifts across the tense days of the siege.

VISUALS (1.5/2)

The visuals for the movie perfectly capture that grainy, desaturated 70s style. Van Sant uses a mix of cinematic framing and recreated news footage, blending clips from the actual incident to ground the story in reality. The film doesn't give us sweeping landscapes of Indianapolis; instead, it focuses on the claustrophobia of the situation.

The camera cuts frequently to a radio station team where host Fred Temple (played by the charismatic Colman Domingo) becomes an unwitting participant because Tony likes his show. These scenes are bathed in warm, artificial light, contrasting with the cold, grey exterior of the police barricades. The film gets you glued to the screen once Tony takes Richard hostage, following them down the stairs of the company building in a tense, unbroken tracking shot that switches to the chaotic drive to his apartment.

During the film, it shows bits and pieces of clips from the news coverage, showing how the people of Indianapolis are reacting to the situation in real-time. We see the media frenzy getting the scoop to spread all around America, creating a feedback loop where Tony watches himself on TV while holding the gun. The visual language effectively builds the feeling of anticipation—the world is watching, waiting to see if the hostage survives his captor.

SOUND (1.5/2)

The sound design works are clear and effective throughout the film, which is crucial for a movie that relies so heavily on negotiation and dialogue. From hearing the music being played from Fred Temple's radio station to the crackle of police scanners, the audio immerses you in the era.

You can hear the dialogue of the characters clearly, which allows us to understand the complex emotions at play. Skarsgård’s voice work is terrifying—shifting from calm reasoning to explosive rage as he screams about being cheated out of his land. You can hear the fear in Richard’s breathing, wondering if he'll ever get out of this alive.

The score is period-appropriate, utilizing 70s rock and radio hits to set the tone (though I believe I heard a track that sounded like Tears for Fears, which might be anachronistic or a modern scoring choice, it added to the mood regardless). The movie sets the tone perfectly during the serious moments of negotiation, contrasting them with the almost surreal moments when Tony interacts with the media or calls into the radio show. That makes it all believable—the soundscape emphasizes that this is a man with nothing to lose, holding the world hostage with a single wire.

CHARACTER (2/2)

The cast elevates this true crime story into a character study of desperation. Bill Skarsgård is transformative as Tony Kiritsis. He avoids playing a cartoon villain, instead embodying a man pushed past his breaking point by a system he believes is corrupt. His chemistry with Dacre Montgomery (Richard Hall) is electric; Montgomery plays the victim not as a prop, but as a terrified everyman trying to navigate a madman’s logic without triggering the shotgun wired to his neck.

The supporting players are equally vital. Colman Domingo brings a necessary warmth as radio host Fred Temple, acting as the calm voice of reason amidst the chaos. Al Pacino, in a smaller but pivotal role as M.L. Hall, reminds us why he is a legend, playing the callous business owner with a fiery intensity that sparks the entire conflict. Myha'la grounds the media frenzy, showing the ambition and moral ambiguity of the press during a tragedy. It’s a balanced ensemble where every player serves the tension of the standoff.

FACTOR X (1.5/2)

What really sets Dead Man's Wire apart is its replication of the incident—from a calm opening to the sudden, violent escalation. It captures a specific moment in history when live news coverage changed forever. It captures a specific moment in history when a hostage situation became prime-time entertainment.

While Tony is undeniably the villain terrorizing an innocent man, the film shows how the public started rooting for him—the little man fighting the big banks. It’s a complex, uncomfortable dynamic that Gus Van Sant navigates perfectly. And we have to talk about the "wire" itself. The visual of the shotgun wired to the hostage's neck is visceral and terrifying; it raises the stakes higher than any standard heist movie ever could. It creates a physical knot in your stomach that doesn't loosen until the credits roll.

Dead Man's Wire sets its tone well, balancing the thriller elements with a character study. The ensemble cast played their roles perfectly. Skarsgård and Domingo have electric chemistry even over the phone lines. It is a film I recommend you watch with a group of friends and expect it will spark a debate about justice, media, and madness. It is a tense, sweating-palms experience that shows Gus Van Sant is still a master of the genre.

FINAL SCORE: 8.5/10

Where to Watch: In Theaters

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