DEAD MAN’S WIRE is a film where the story, acting, and message are greater than the execution. It’s a damn shame, since I wanted to love this film. Audiences get a fantastic performance from Bill Skarsgård with a Jimmy Stewart-like charm (it’s great to see him in something where he’s not covered in Pennywise and Nosferatu’s make-up), a surprisingly funny and suspenseful script from Austin Kolodney, and an unbelievable true story.
So what went wrong? Gus Van Sant. I’m a big fan of Van Sant’s earlier work (DRUGSTORE COWBOY, GOOD WILL HUNTING, MILK, and I even semi-enjoyed the shot-by-shot remake of PYSCHO). Yet his filmmaking style turns what should’ve been a suspensful action film into a slow-burn mess. Had this film been directed by Paul Greengrass (THE LOST BUS) or Tim Fehlbaum (SEPTEMBER 5), it would’ve been a smash hit.
Final Thought: Gus Van Sant and the story of Tony Kiritsis (the 1970s version of Luigi Mangione) will go down in history as legendary. However, DEAD MAN’S WIRE will be instantly forgotten in the award-season shuffle.
It will be released in January 2026.
