Film Review: DEAD MAN’S WIRE (2025): Gus Van Sant is Back with an Absorbing and Gritty Fact-Based Drama
Dead Man’s Wire Review
Dead Man’s Wire (2025) Film Review, a movie directed by Gus Van Sant, written by Austin Kolodney and starring Dacre Montgomery, Bill SkarsgĂ„rd, Colman Domingo, Al Pacino, Cary Elwes, Myha’la, John Robinson, Jordan Claire Robbins, Mark Helms, Daniel R. Hill, Kyle Rankin, Casey Feigh, Stephanie Bertoni, Vinh Nguyen, John N. Dixon, Neil Mulac, Todd Gable and Michael Ashcraft.
In renowned filmmaker Gus Van Sant (Milk)’s Dead Man’s Wire, Bill SkarsgĂ„rd portrays Tony Kiritsis, a man on the brink of sanity in February of 1977 who took a guy who headed a mortgage company hostage. Van Sant has crafted a movie about haves and have-nots that is as thought-provoking as it is engaging. Anchored by the always reliable SkarsgĂ„rd’s performance, this film never misses a beat as it follows its subject through the ordeal of a kidnapping in which Tony takes a shotgun to a man who he believes wronged him, Richard Hall (Dacre Montgomery). Set in Indianapolis, Tony takes Richard across town against his will with the authorities and the press in hot pursuit of stopping the alleged madman, Tony, in his tracks and, in the case of the press, telling his side of the story.
As the film’s story beings, Tony walks into an office building with a long cardboard box and manipulates the new secretary into getting the attention of Richard when, in reality, Tony was there to see Richard’s dad, M.L. Hall (Al Pacino), who is actually away in sunny Florida. Richard thinks he can right the wrong that has been done to Tony, but Tony has other ideas when he unveils the shotgun and demands people listen to what is on his mind. Meanwhile, a reporter, Linda Page (Myha’la), is in the vicinity and is ready to get the full scoop on what is going on when she discovers the news of the kidnapping.
As Tony takes Richard away from the building, there is some tension as the cops try to figure out what to do next in regards to the volatile situation at hand. Eventually, the film brings in other characters such as DJ Fred Temple (the great Colman Domingo who has the perfect voice for the role). It appears that Tony is a fan of Fred and the film further explores the divide between Richard and Tony, one man a supposed success and the other almost a complete failure.
Of course, the media and the authorities have to think swiftly to outwit our gunman. In the interim, women come forward on the radio in support of Tony while M.L. sets the record straight that Tony is simply a man looking to provide just for himself which in M.L.’s eyes makes him not a genuine man. Van Sant doesn’t sugarcoat anything, but he does draw parallels between the kidnapper and his victim and how one got the success he obtained while the other missed out on potential opportunities.
SkarsgĂ„rd is one of our most versatile actors and ably brings the essence of Tony’s dilemma to the screen. Tony is going to be, in most people’s eyes, just an innocent loser, but what he does over the course of the film and the threatened violence he uses towards his hostage makes him a true menace to society. However, Tony’s brother, Jimmy (Daniel R. Hill), speaks to the press on Tony’s behalf which further complicates the tense situation within the picture.
SkarsgĂ„rd could probably play this role with ease given his diverse body of work, but that shouldn’t make one dismiss the quality of his solemn work in Van Sant’s excellently edited picture. SkarsgĂ„rd brings depth to a role that could have just been a confused gunman part in a more mainstream movie. Van Sant and the script writer shed light on Tony’s view of the world which prompted him to take the wrong kind of action against the one(s) he believed wronged him.
Domingo and Pacino are fine in their supporting roles. Pacino gets a scene where his character, sitting poolside, tells his waiter that he eats certain meals on certain days and lets the waiter know that he got his order wrong. Nobody can do the role of an assured wise-ass the way Pacino can and he revels in his brief screen time within the movie. Domingo adds charisma to a part which could have been a smaller role in a lesser film. This movie also showcases music of the era which occasionally transitions the film from scene-to-scene.
This movie has a gritty feel that is amplified by scenes that play like real-life footage of the scenarios the film highlights so effectively. While Montgomery’s performance is never too showy, one can certainly feel sympathy for his character given the delicate situation occurring here. Myha’la more than holds her own beside some stellar company in the cast of the film (which also includes Cary Elwes) and she captures the essence of an ambitious journalist to perfection.
Dead Man’s Wire spins a somewhat familiar tale in the grand scheme of things, but it’s one that will keep the viewer intrigued even with the knowledge of how the story ultimately turned out. Van Sant is a master craftsman and this movie is proof he still has what it takes to make the type of raw film he was known for during the early portion of his career. He did make some mainstream films, but the director lends his darker side to this particular story as it explores themes that will make one look deeper into the material than the action being presented on-screen seems to want us to. This film marks Van Sant’s return to form and is a compelling look inside the mindset of someone who didn’t know he was crazy even after the court decided he was.
Rating: 8/10
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