While there was a divergence into streaming TV land, it’s still been several years since director Gus Van Sant was on the scene with a new film. Even with that in mind, he’s been in something of a 1 for them 3 for me pattern, but that frequency has died down significantly since 2018’s Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot. With that in mind, judging by the dozens of producers involved and the project’s original setup by Werner Herzog and Nicholas Cage, here we are with Dead Man’s Wire. This is a film that has the spirit of an indie in many of its choices, yet it clearly aspires to function like a film that could easily occupy a space in the 70s. Given the brief appearance by Al Pacino, there’s one film I particularly have in mind. Still, while Dead Man’s Wire isn’t the runaway classic that Dog Day Afternoon is, between the balance of tension and comedy, let alone the additional social angles involving the economy, media, and more, there’s plenty Van Sant is looking at with an interested eye.
The film focuses on a true story of a wild kidnapping. Set in 1977 Indianapolis, Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgård) is at his wits’ end over what he feels is improper treatment by a bank mortgager. His plan: kidnap the manager, have his debt forgiven, receive an apology, and walk away a free man. Problems arise quickly when Tony learns the manager, M.L. Hall (Pacino), is on vacation, which leads to Hall’s son, Richard Hall (Dacre Montgomery), being taken instead. But how? Well, Tony has devised an elaborate rig that keeps a shotgun close to Richard’s head, with him attached to a cord that will pull the trigger if cops try anything.
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Key to all of this is watching Skarsgård lean into the physical comedy of the situation, despite the possible deathly outcome. Standing at 6’4”, the man is tall yet thin, and the actor leans into his lankiness to show a man frustrated and clearly going further than he ever has, because this guy is clearly no killer. In saying that, it means watching Tony awkwardly arrive at the bank, pull out his weapon, and put his scheme into action. Of course, it’s not just the two leading players simply waiting in an office.
Things become much crazier once Tony reveals the plan to take Richard back to his car and have the two of them drive back to his apartment and wait for the cops to meet his demands (which is said to be rigged with traps as well). This leads to a true-to-life scene of Tony holding Richard hostage in broad daylight, walking down the streets as cops surround him, while the two look for a car to use (Tony ends up breaking his key in the ignition). It’s a scene like this, not relieved of tension, but certainly one in which Van Sant does all he can to lean into the inherent humor of this absurd scenario.
Adding to all of this, we have Cary Elwes, nearly unrecognizable, as a bearded detective familiar with Tony and hoping to help calm things down. There’s also Industry’s Myha’la as Linda Page, a female reporter looking to be the lead on this story and ideally break into the big leagues of reporting because of it. Finally, we have Colman Domingo as a local radio DJ, Fred Temple, who forms a sort of bond with Tony, who repeatedly calls in.
As one expects, while the truth can be crazier than fiction, Austin Kolodney’s screenplay does what’s needed to condense and lean in on the most essential elements, let alone graft a story onto this event that works for a feature-length thriller. It’s solid work, as the film tries to do a lot but never feels overstuffed for its own good. A lot of that comes down to comfort with this cast. Whether it’s the odd chemistry shared between Skarsgard and Montgomery, the way the various authorities communicate with each other, or just the way we watch time pass, there’s a solid blend of thrills and comfort to make this movie go by as smoothly as it does.
Looking at the elements sitting outside the main plot —not unlike previous Van Sant films like To Die For —the notion of media’s involvement, among other thematically interesting moments, speaks to areas the film can touch upon, though it circles too much with the highlighter. Plenty can be gleaned from what an ambitious reporter is after without pushing her involvement too far. Even with the class separation between Tony and those in his way, the movie visually shows enough discrepancy.
Speaking of visuals, there’s a lot of effort put into not only evoking the 70s period but also coming up with clever ways to get fun angles on what’s taking place. We see vantage points from news cameras, frequent handheld shots, and more to place the viewer in the moment. This all helps keep the film alive, let alone showing Van Sant feeling more eager than ever to do something invigorating with a feature.
There’s little to really look at with dismay here. Dead Man’s Wire does enough to justify itself as a feature, having already been adapted as a documentary and a podcast series. That said, one can’t help but feel some sense of familiarity just by default when it comes to a thriller of this nature. Still, at a brisk 100 minutes, with an excellent performance by Skarsgård, and enough energy to fuel the rest of this solid ensemble, Dead Man’s Wire offers more than just a shotgun blast of adrenaline to its initial setup. The whole thing works out for the better, regardless of whether or not someone gets hurt.
Dead Man’s Wire screened at AFI Fest. Find more information at fest.afi.com
Dead Man’s Wire opens in select theaters January 9, 2026, and wide January 16, 2026, with an awards qualifying run December 12, 2025.
