Dead Man's Wire
Bill Skarsgård is undeniably great in Gus Van Sant's immensely watchable docudrama.
Gus Van Sant was once one of the kings of the indie film circuit, from Oscar-winning classics like “Good Will Hunting” to more fringe but powerful movies like “Elephant.” He led the way for many filmmakers to get their shot behind the camera, and instead of going on to direct bigger movies with major studios, he primarily stayed with smaller budgets.
It’s been seven years since his last film, “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot,” and now Van Sant has finally returned with the docudrama “Dead Man’s Wire,” which just so happens to be based on a true story that happened in our home state of Indiana.
In February 1977, Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgård) walked into the offices of Mortgage broker M.L. Hall (Al Pacino), armed with a shotgun in a cardboard box. The problem is, Hall is on vacation, and instead, his son, Richard (Dacre Montgomery), is filling in. Richard seems nice enough, but he gets under Tony’s skin enough that he holds him at gunpoint, using a metal wire to tie his neck to the barrel of his shotgun.
The hostage situation moves from the offices to Kiritsis’ apartment, as media personnel, including up-and-coming journalist Linda Page (Myha’la) and revered radio host Fred Temple (Colman Domingo), cover the story. As M.L. Hall continues to refuse Kiritsis’ requests, the public begins to see the latter as a bit of a folk hero.
Van Sant doesn’t necessarily reinvent the wheel of the docudrama, and any native of Indianapolis will be able to easily tell that the city they shot in isn’t theirs. However, he has made a damn fine and engaging thriller. Perfect; no. But it’s one of those movies that, for all of its faults, you can’t help but be entertained.
Skarsgård is stellar as Kiritsis, effortlessly pulling off a more darkly comic performance than you might initially expect. You can clearly tell Skarsgård had a lot of empathy for the man he’s playing, and it shows, portraying him as a more complicated figure. Not some villainous hostage-taker nor some brave anti-hero. The reason the film works as well as it does is because of him. Montgomery also shines as Richard, showing he can simultaneously ramp up the charm as well as the schwarmyness.
The rest of the ensemble doesn’t get nearly as much to do. Myha’la’s Linda has a subplot that feels more like an afterthought, as she keeps trying to prove herself as a reporter. Domingo does a splendid job as Fred Temple, but his arc doesn’t take him far outside his recording studio. For as legendary and iconic as an actor as Pacino is, he is the film’s weakest link, practically just playing a character that you’d expect from an SNL parody of his work.
Van Sant threads a fine line between making a more grounded docudrama and one that invokes the work of the Coen Brothers, and tonally, he mostly succeeds. While there are moments where the movie drags, including the subplots, every minute spent with Skarsgård and Montgomery is electric. Even if you already know what happened in the real-life events, the way the movie plays out keeps you on your toes.
“Dead Man’s Wire” may not be the next great crime caper, but as a comeback for Van Sant, it reminds us just how diverse a filmmaker he actually is. It’s not something you need to rush out to the theater to see, but the moment this comes to streaming, it will inevitably blow up.