Dead Man's Wire (2026)

3 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Chiding Shotgun

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Perhaps no other filmmaker could have told this story quite so well as Gus Van Sant. He frequently seems drawn to the 1970s, if not literally, then at least in terms of that decade's grungy, gritty, ragtag style. Dead Man's Wire tells the story of Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgård), a would-be businessman who feels that his attempt at building a shopping center has been thwarted by his mortgage broker. In February of 1977 in Indianapolis, he kidnaps broker Dick Hall (Dacre Montgomery), and rigs a "dead man's wire," i.e. a shotgun strapped to Dick's neck, so that any false move will result in his being blown away. Kiritsis is righteously angry and uses this situation to manipulate the media to his advantage, for as long as possible, until the inevitable occurs.

Colman Domingo co-stars, and adds a wonderful touch, as radio DJ Fred Temple, who spins smooth soul and speaks into the mic with a voice like butter; Kiritsis is a fan and Fred becomes part of the negotiations. Al Pacino does his usual thing as Dick's father, so corrupt and twisted that he won't even apologize to Kiritsis to save his son's life. Myha'la is delightful as TV reporter Linda Page, struggling to get noticed in a world full of white men. And Cary Elwes is pretty much unrecognizable as Detective Michael Grable. Footage of the real-life Kiritsis and Hall during the closing credits further establishes that Van Sant is drawn to good-looking boys (the real men were decidedly not that), and there's a subtle sense of queerness to their relationship. The movie has a rebel energy and humor, concluding that Kiritsis is not just a whackadoodle, but also a kind of bizarre hero.