Dead Man's Wire (2025) review

Enraged that he was taken advantage of by M.L. Hall (Al Pacino), the owner of the Meridian Mortgage company in Indianapolis, Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgård) storms into his building looking for him, finds Hall's son Richard (Dacre Montgomery) instead and kidnaps him using a shotgun rigged with a wire (so if anything happens to him, Richard gets a head full of lead pellets) - to get his list of demands out, Tony relies on popular DJ Fred Temple (Colman Domingo).  It's based on a true story (that took place in February of 1977), tries to emulate the video equipment used by the media during that time and even brings in Pacino to attempt to create a cinematic "link" with Dog Day Afternoon, but the result isn't remotely as intense or engaging as Lumet's thriller from 1975.  It wants the audience to 'empathize' with the 'poor' man over the 'wealthy' class - a classic confrontation - except the actual Kiritsis was so delusional and crazed he was declared 'not guilty' by reason of insanity ... which might make one wonder how much he's saying is 'real.'  I know it's tempting, but you probably shouldn't kill (or threaten) the rich because of your lot in life - that's why we have lawyers.  And witches.