Dead Man's Wire

In the 1970s, Tony Kiritsis borrowed money for a property development project from Meridian Mortgage, a credit company owned by M.L. Hallis. However, Kiritsis is no longer able to meet the repayments and suspects fraud, so he decides to seek redress. Hallis is not in the office, but his son Richard is. Once in his office, Kiritsis takes Richard hostage and calls the police himself to make his demands known: an apology and compensation. He has tied Richard to his gun with a so-called “dead man's wire”; one wrong move and the gun will go off... The media pounce on the story, which was exactly Kiritsis' intention.

In the hands of Gus Van Sant, this story based on true events has become a black comedy about money, fraud and the power of the media, reminiscent of Sidney Lumet's hostage drama Dog Day Afternoon (1975). Al Pacino plays the lead role in that film, and in this one he plays M.L. Hall. Bill Skarsgård plays the role of Tony Kiritsis with verve.