Monday Night Cinema

Dead Man’s Wire

The new thriller from Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Milk) dramatises a real-world kidnapping incident from 1977.

In Indianapolis, an aggrieved customer Tony Kiritsis took his mortgage broker Richard Hall hostage at gunpoint. After alerting the authorities of the situation, a multi-day stand-off occurred at Tony’s home. Meanwhile, the kidnapping quickly became a media circus - with Tony parading his victim in front of the cameras as millions of viewers watched from home.

Van Sant’s take on the story is tense, surreal and darkly comic, with a sharp script from Austin Kolodney and excellent performances from an ensemble cast that includes Bill Skarsgård (Nosferatu), Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) and Al Pacino.

Best Director, Denver Film Festival 2025