DEAD MAN’S WIRE: Just the Facts...Probably

DEAD MAN’S WIRE (Blu-ray)

2025 / 105 min

Alliance Entertainment

Review by Princess Pepper😽

Whenever a movie purports to be “based on a true story,” I generally don’t scrutinize the accuracy of such a claim. Unless it’s a documentary, I ain’t looking for a history lesson, and all that really matters is whether or not the movie is enjoyable. Most of these things would be pretty damn dull without a little dramatic embellishment.

That being said, I did get the impression that Dead Man’s Wire mostly sticks to the facts, at least regarding the incident it depicts. Taking place in Indianapolis in 1977, disgruntled Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgård) believes Meridian Mortgage cheated him out of a land deal, which has left him financially destitute. So he goes into the place and takes company president Richard Hall (Dacre Montgomery) hostage, wiring a shotgun to his head, which will fire if Richard tries to flee or Tony himself is killed.

A majority of the three-day stand-off takes place at Tony’s apartment, which is surrounded by police and news reporters. Not only does he demand compensation for the money he feels he’s owed, Tony wants immunity and a public apology from Meridian’s CEO, Richard's father, M.L. Hall (Al Pacino, who literally phones in his entire performance). 

Tony can't understand why a taxi doesn't stop for him.

Directed by Gus Van Sant, the narrative primarily focuses on Tony himself and the particulars of the stand-off, including the trust he has in local DJ Fred Temple (Colman Domingo) to make his side of the story public. There are also pointed observations about questionable mortgage company practices and how the media sensationalized the entire incident. However, the film refrains from declaring Tony as the victim he claims to be, and whether or not Meridian is actually guilty of swindling him (though we suspect they are).

In fact, Tony is depicted as a very flawed character…short-tempered, self-aggrandizing and maybe enjoying the media spotlight more than he should. Conversely, Richard ultimately comes across as somewhat sympathetic, a victim caught in the conflict between Tony and M.L. Both are well-realized by excellent performances from Skarsgård and Montgomery. The film is less effective whenever it ventures outside of Tony’s apartment. Cary Elwes is wasted in a thankless role as a frustrated cop Mike Grable, while Linda Page (Myha’la) embodies every ambitious reporter trope we’ve seen in countless other films. 

Still, Dead Man’s Wire is well-made and features excellent attention to period detail…the production design, the hit-heavy soundtrack and some creative cinematography reflecting the video technology of the time. The film never really connects on an emotional level, but as an account of a nationally televised hostage crisis, it's pretty interesting and we’re largely convinced this is how it all went down.