"Dead Man's Wire" - The Return of a Master

[the following review is spoiler-free]

In the pantheon of modern filmmakers, few are as decorated or fabled as Gus Van Sant. Over the course of his long career he has made everything from indie darlings to Academy Award winning biopics. Elephant, My Own Private Idaho, Good Will Hunting, these are only a few of the iconic projects Van Sant has led, but he hasn't directed a feature film in seven years...until now. This year's Venice Film Festival saw the release of Dead Man's Wire, starring Bill Skarsgård, Dacre Montgomery, Colman Domingo, and Al Pacino, and let me tell you, it's going to be a title to look out for this coming award season.

On February 8th, 1977, Tony Kiritsis held his mortgage broker, Richard Hall hostage with a shotgun in Indianapolis. The situation lasted three days, spanned multiple different locations and caused an absolute media frenzy. Gus Van Sant aimed to capture this incident on film with the help of screenwriter, Austin Kolodney and producer, Cassian Elwes, With principal photography in Louisville, Kentucky only lasting twenty days, loyal fans waited with baited breath to see Van Sant's latest work. And after catching the premiere at this year's AFI Fest in Hollywood, I'm pleased to say it was worth the wait.

Dead Man's Wire is a film with many strengths. The writing is strong, the cinematography and lighting are outstanding, but the most significant praise is owed to those in the acting department. Dacre Montgomery gives a uniquely mature, subdued performance as Richard Hall. It's truly amazing how a simple receding hairline can turn a teen heartthrob into a middle aged midwesterner. Colman Domingo, Al Pacino, and Cary Elwes all give decent performances as well, but the crown jewel of Dead Man's Wire is Bill Skarsgård's portrayal of Tony Kiritsis. I cannot possibly emphasize enough how much he disappears into the role. He still looks like the actor audiences have grown to love, but his mannerisms and speech make him damn near unrecognizable. He plays Kiritsis with such intense ferocity, it's hard not to feel intimidated by him as an audience member. It's been a long time since I saw a performance and instantly thought "oh my god, they're going to win an Oscar," but that's exactly what happened at this afternoon's screening. I can't believe I'm saying this but Pennywise the Dancing Clown might just be the next Academy Award recipient for Best Actor. Hey, stranger things have happened!

Seven years is a long time to wait for anything, but I'm pleased to say that Dead Man's Wire is a film I would happily wait a decade for. It not only further proves Gus Van Sant's knack as a screenwriter, but introduces new talents like cinematographer, Arnaud Potier and writer, Austin Kolodney. It's a movie so cinematic and inspired, it will make it remember why you love cinema.

Crime thrillers are not something I normally gravitate to, in all honesty they tend to bore me, which only makes Dead Man's Wire all the more impressive to me. Not to mention how it took less than three weeks to fully shoot. Dead Man's Wire has already dazzled audiences at both Venice and TIFF, and Chicago this year, with a wide theatrical release date set for January 2026. I'm not going to hold you at gunpoint, but I implore you to buy tickets as soon as you're able.