Dead Man’s Wire (2025)

If there is a Bill Skarsgård movie, there is a very good chance I’m going to watch it. At this point, the man has become one of those actors whose name alone can get me to hit play. It also seems like filmmakers have collectively decided that he belongs in high-stress, confined situations, and honestly? I support that decision.

Dead Man’s Wire was a movie I had been looking forward to for quite a while. It played in theaters, but never anywhere close enough for me to make the trip, so when it recently landed on Netflix, it immediately jumped to the top of my watch list. The good news is that the wait was worth it.

I loved this movie.

Based on a true story, Dead Man’s Wire centers around a hostage situation that quickly becomes much more complicated than it initially appears. I went into it knowing very little about the actual events, and I would recommend doing the same if possible. Part of what made the experience so engaging was not knowing exactly where things were headed or how they would ultimately play out.

What surprised me most was how funny parts of the movie were. This is a serious story involving a man holding someone hostage, so I wasn’t expecting to laugh nearly as much as I did. Yet the script finds moments of humor. The result is a film that maintains tension without becoming emotionally exhausting.

Bill Skarsgård is excellent here. That’s not exactly shocking at this point, but it’s worth mentioning. He has a way of making even deeply flawed characters feel compelling to watch. Whether he’s playing a villain, a victim, or someone who falls somewhere in between, he has a screen presence that keeps your attention locked in.

I also need to talk about Colman Domingo because, once again, he proves that he can elevate just about anything he appears in. This is a different kind of role than some of the performances people may know him best for, but he absolutely nails it. And can we talk about that voice? The man could probably read a grocery list and I’d sit through the entire thing. His performance adds another layer of depth and gravitas to a film that already has plenty working in its favor.

Dead Man’s Wire keeps the tension high without becoming overwhelming. It explores a fascinating real-life event without feeling overly dramatized. It gives its actors room to shine while still keeping the story moving at a steady pace. It’s the kind of movie that constantly keeps you engaged without relying on endless action sequences or cheap twists.

And because I’m apparently incapable of resisting a “based on a true story” movie, this one checked every box for me. There is something uniquely satisfying about watching a story unfold and then remembering that these events actually happened. It adds an extra layer of intrigue that fictional thrillers sometimes struggle to replicate.

One piece of advice: stick around for the credits. The film includes actual footage connected to the real events, and it adds a fascinating final layer to the story. Seeing the real people after spending two hours with the dramatized version made the whole experience even more impactful.

As far as movies I’ve watched this year go, Dead Man’s Wire is going near the top of the list. Great performances, sharp writing, plenty of tension, and a story that is almost impossible to believe actually happened.

If you’ve been scrolling past it on Netflix wondering whether it’s worth your time, my answer is an easy yes.