Dead Man's Wire

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Dead Man's Wire

R

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1h 45m

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

133 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

250+ Verified Ratings

On February 8, 1977, Tony Kiritsis entered the office of Richard Hall, president of the Meridian Mortgage Company, and took him hostage with a sawed-off shotgun wired with a "dead man's wire" from the trigger to Tony's own neck.

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Critics Consensus

Brilliantly offbeat and tinged with a darkly humorous edge, Dead Man's Wire is brought to life by Bill Skarsgård's fearless performance, authentic period flavor, and anti-capitalist fervor.

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Thelma Adams

AARP Movies for Grownups

Jan 17

4/5

Suspenseful, entertaining and swift, the hostage caper revels in the 1970s Indianapolis setting, recalling the 1975 classic Dog Day Afternoon.

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Adam Nayman

Toronto Star

Jan 15

3/4

If “Dead Man’s Wire” feels more like a modest triumph of engineering than a major artistic statement, there’s still plenty of virtue in seeing a job well done.

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Saffron Maeve

Globe and Mail

Jan 14

The intensity of the situation and Tony’s capacity to pull the trigger are unconvincing; Skarsgard’s looks are the only thing that can kill.

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Jonathan W. Hickman

The Newnan Times-Herald

4d

8/10

It’s deftly directed, perfectly performed, and acerbically funny.

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Lynn Venhaus

Webster-Kirkwood Times

4d

B

What it lacks in character development is notable, but screenwriter Austin Kolodney draws from themes that resonate – the American Dream, our perceptions of fair and just, and how media shapes those viewpoints.

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Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

5d

3.5/4

Perhaps no other filmmaker could have told this story quite so well as Gus Van Sant.

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Ruslan L

1d

Great storytelling and wonderful performances by both Bill Skarsgard and Darce Montgomery. Based on a true story set in the late 1970’s in Indianapolis. Gus Van Sant captured that time really perfectly with period wardrobe, hairstyles and even cars.

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Brian

3d

Compelling film, with a lot of humor

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Stuart C

3d

A little slow but it's a true story so I'll give it some credit

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Robert C

4d

Interesting movie based on true events. It was ok and kept me interested. But it didn’t seem much different from other tragic crime events that have been televised and made into movies. Mainly a single plot story with mediocre filming.

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Howard S

4d

I enjoyed it great acting And Sometimes a little choppy but Definitely worth seen

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Mr Hollywood

4d

Really entertaining based on a true story movie. Definitely one to watch. Loved it

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Gus Van Sant

Director

Bill Skarsgård

Tony Kiritsis

Al Pacino

M.L. Hall

Colman Domingo

Fred Temple

Dacre Montgomery

Richard "Dick" Hall

Cary Elwes

Michael Grable

Dead Man's Wire: Movie Clip - Getting Started

1:03

Dead Man's Wire: Movie Clip - Open With That

0:48

Dead Man's Wire: Exclusive Movie Clip - Power

1:23

Dead Man's Wire: Movie Clip - Hands

1:04

Dead Man's Wire: Movie Clip - Apologize

1:00

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Dead Man's Wire: Exclusive - Fight

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Dead Man's Wire: Teaser Trailer

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Synopsis

On February 8, 1977, Tony Kiritsis entered the office of Richard Hall, president of the Meridian Mortgage Company, and took him hostage with a sawed-off shotgun wired with a "dead man's wire" from the trigger to Tony's own neck.

Director: Gus Van Sant
Producer: Noor Alfallah, Remi Alfallah, Mark Amin, Andrea Bucko, Gordon Clark, Tom Culliver, Cassian Elwes, Billy Hines
Screenwriter: Austin Kolodney
Distributor: Row K Entertainment
Production Co: Pressman Film, Elevated Films (II)
Rating: R (Language Throughout)
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 16, 2026, Wide
Runtime: 1h 45m

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