Dead Man’s Wire

Bill Skarsgård is known for his transformations and absolute embodiment of everything from other worldly creatures to slightly off-putting men. In Dead Man's Wire, Bill Skarsgård once again absolutely embodies his character with a high degree of skill that we have now come to expect.

Dead Man's Wire follows the real-life story of Tony Kiritsis (Skarsgård) who kidnaps the president of Meridian Mortgage Company, Richard Hall (Dacre Montgomery) to gain retribution for the company's shady business practices. We learn that these predatory business practices led to the devastating loss of his dream business. For those unfamiliar with the real-life story, as soon as you learn what "dead man's wire" really means, the ride ensues. The film also features Linda Page (Myha'la) a fictional journalist hoping to break the story and her dogged attempts to get the scoop as well as Fred Temple (Colman Domingo) the radio DJ, based on the real-life Fred Heckman, that aired Kiritsis' grievances live on air.

Despite the serious subject matter, the tone of the film contrasts with the deadly stakes. I went in expecting an intense drama but instead found a darkly comedic romp. While there were definitely intense serious moments, there were definitely a lot more laughs. Skarsgård absolutely shines as Kiritsis truly embodying his live wire personality, effectively disappearing into the role. He is able to effectively balance the deep pain of Kiritsis and his unintentionally humorous one-liners. He is definitely the standout of this film.

As a big fan of both Myha'la and Colman Domingo - I was quite excited to see them in this film. When they were on screen, they absolutely shone - however, I wish they were given more to do with their characters and more time to do it. Each time they left the screen, I was anticipating their return. As the credits rolled, I found myself hoping that we got more moments with them.

This true story is an interesting one, however I wish that the film had dug deeper into expanding on the motivations and underlying stories of the characters. I felt that the film gave me a clear sense of the facts of how these events unfolded, however, I felt that it lacked depth in highlighting the underlying stories of the characters. I wanted to be invested in the outcomes of the characters, but it just didn't give me enough to be deeply emotionally invested in their inner lives and outcomes.

Regardless, if you are looking for a surprisingly funny take on a real-life story and appreciate a film where Skarsgård is doing his thing - you might want to check out Dead Man's Wire.