Year of Release: 2025
Director: Gus Van Sant
Starring: Bill Skarsgard, Cary Elwes, Dacre Montgomery, Colman Domingo, Al Pacino, Kelly Lynch, Myha'la, John Robinson, Todd Gable, Mark Helms, Michael Ashcraft, Neil Mulac, Daniel R. Hill, Dean Coutris, Vinh Nguyen, Maresha Robinson
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon
Synopsis and Review
The talented Gus Van Sant is back, after taking a detour with directing the mini-series "Feud", and following his underrated gem, "Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot". This time around he tackles a real life event which took place in the 1970s, in the Indianapolis area. The narrative follows the events set in motion by Tony Kiritsis, who arrives for an appointment with a mortgage broker by the name of M.L. Hall, who owns Meridian Mortgage, only to find out that M.L. is on vacation in Florida. He meets with M.L.'s son, Richard, who is also employed at the same Mortgage company. Upon reaching Richard's office, Tony quickly seizes the situation with a hidden shotgun, and wires it to Richard's neck as a dead man's switch. He claims that M.L. and Meridian robbed him of millions, after he bought some land and planned to work with an investor to develop it. Tony communicates with the police what he has done and what his demands are, and eventually manages to get in a police car with Richard, and instructs the latter to drive them both to his apartment. Tony claims he has booby-trapped his apartment and if someone tries anything, the entire complex will explode. Tony explains to the local radio DJ, Fred Temple, what has prompted his extreme behavior, and makes a variety of demands, including his own exoneration from what is happening.
Gus Van Sant is a great storyteller. He manages to both capture poetry in motion, but is also able to capture the nuances of relationships between his characters, be it in dramatically inclined storylines, or in dark comedy ones, which can be witnessed in "Milk" and "To Die For" respectively. "Dead Man's Wire" brings to life, with an accurate detail for the period, the despair of someone who believes wholeheartedly how deeply wronged they have been. Tony, perfectly embodied by Bill Skarsgard, is seeking some restitution, but the film suggests this is a story of a man who always faded into the background, and who wants his comeuppance. Tony views the the missed opportunity he had as more than a business venture that just eluded him, it's a life that passed him by, that was denied to him. His need for revenge, his need for that public attention, and for that public apology, is a shout against all that life has failed to provide him. Mr. Van Sant manages to keep this narrative moving with gusto, with a set of characters that are illustrated briefly, but with enough detail to make them all feel vividly real. The cast is fantastic, led by the wonderful Bill Skarsgard, who gets great support from Colman Domingo, the always fantastic Al Pacino, and the underrated Cary Elwes. The production team is superb, including Danny Elfman's score, Arnaud Potier's cinematography, Stefan Dechant's production design, and Peggy Schnitzer's costumes. It's a solid film from an underrated storyteller. Worth watching.
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