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Our take
Tony Kiritsis holds a mortgage broker at shotgun-point with a dead man's switch wired to his neck in this Gus Van Sant period thriller. The US R is for language throughout. Talky and tense more than action-heavy, with constant f-word use, shotgun wiring, cigarette offers and abduction hanging over every scene. Bill Skarsgård plays Kiritsis with dark humor. Mature teens into true crime can handle it; the hostage setup stays stressful the whole way
Uplifting themes
Negotiators show empathy even when the outcome looks grim. The film humanises without celebrating the crime. Soft grace, thin comfort overall
Story (may spoil tone)
In 1977, former real estate developer Tony Kiritsis puts a dead man's switch on himself and the mortgage banker who did him wrong, demanding $5 million and a personal apology.
Details
Violence A shotgun hostage setup dominates for days. Sudden violence is always p…
A shotgun hostage setup dominates for days. Sudden violence is always possible, yet little blood hits the camera. The threat is the gun and the wire, not splatter
Language The f-word barely stops on either side of the standoff. S-word, ass, a-…
The f-word barely stops on either side of the standoff. S-word, ass, a-word, bull s-word and worse sit in the mix. Language throughout earns the R
Drugs / alcohol Cigarettes get offered during the long standoff, true to the 1970s sett…
Cigarettes get offered during the long standoff, true to the 1970s setting. Smoking runs in the background. No big drinking plot in this true-crime story
Frightening Prolonged hostage tension and media glare stay unnerving. Days with a w…
Prolonged hostage tension and media glare stay unnerving. Days with a wire and a gun pointed at a man's neck. Stress without jump-scare tricks
Gore / death / weapons A sawed-off shotgun stays visible and wired to a hostage's neck for day…
A sawed-off shotgun stays visible and wired to a hostage's neck for days. Little graphic gore hits the camera. The weapon itself does the talking
Dangerous behaviour The film shows a shotgun wired to a hostage as a dead man's switch. It…
The film shows a shotgun wired to a hostage as a dead man's switch. It is not a step-by-step how-to montage. The device idea is still clear enough to worry about
Grief / bereavement Financial ruin and family shame push Kiritsis into the crisis. Motive s…
Financial ruin and family shame push Kiritsis into the crisis. Motive sits closer to humiliation than mourning a death. Still heavy personal loss
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
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Talk after watching
- Tony feels cheated by the banking system. Can you understand anger without approving his choices?
- Dick is trapped with a shotgun wired to his neck. How would you stay calm in a hostage crisis?
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Dead Man's Wire
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