Director: Gus Van Sant
Cast: Bill Skarsgård, Colman Domingo, Al Pacino, Dacre Montgomery, Myha'la
Dead Man's Wire is a 2025 American crime drama directed by Gus Van Sant, based on the true story of Tony Kiritsis — a desperate man who strapped a sawn-off shotgun to a mortgage banker's neck and held the city of Indianapolis hostage for 63 hours in January 1977.
What is Dead Mans Wire about?
Indianapolis, winter 1977. Real estate developer Tony Kiritsis has lost everything he owns to a bad mortgage deal and the man who engineered it. Humiliated and financially ruined, Kiritsis devises an act of extreme desperation: he wires a loaded shotgun in a dead man's switch to the neck of banker Richard Hall and marches him out into the open streets, demanding five million dollars and a public apology broadcast on live television. What unfolds over the next three days is a standoff that forces law enforcement, journalists, and ordinary citizens to confront questions of class, injustice, and how far a man can be pushed before he stops caring about survival. The film stays close to Kiritsis, exploring the logic behind his rage without excusing it.
Cast & crew
Bill Skarsgård plays Tony Kiritsis, carrying the weight of a performance that demands sustained physicality and psychological volatility. Colman Domingo portrays the hostage banker, and Al Pacino appears in a supporting role that adds considerable gravity. Dacre Montgomery, Myha'la, and Cary Elwes round out the cast. Gus Van Sant directs with the patient, character-driven focus that marks his best work.
Context & significance
Persian-speaking viewers worldwide have shown strong appetite for real-crime dramas that dig into systems of power — corrupt institutions, debt traps, and individuals crushed by forces larger than themselves. Dead Man's Wire connects with that sensibility directly. The story of a man pushed to the edge by financial betrayal resonates wherever viewers have experienced economic precarity. The film is available on K-Time with a full Persian dub, making it fully accessible for diaspora viewers who prefer to watch in their own language without needing to read subtitles — a rare offering for a prestige Hollywood production of this scale.
Where & how to watch
Dead Man's Wire is available now on K-Time with Persian dub and Persian subtitles. Watch on the web, on your TV, or on your phone — no VPN needed, no geo-blocking, no extra download required. Start watching today and cancel anytime.