‘Dead Man’s Wire’ Review: Bill Skarsgård Is Brilliant in Gus Van Sant’s Mixed-Bag Thriller

The year was 1977, and the month was February, so you know what that means: Ralph Bakshi’s awesome animated epic “Wizards” was in theaters, and all was right with the world. Except of course in Indianapolis, where failed entrepreneur Tony Kiritsis walked into the office of his mortgage broker, Richard O. Hall, and wired a shotgun to his head. The shotgun would go off if either Kiritsis was shot, or if Richard O. Hall tried to escape. That was the opposite of awesome. All was definitely not right.

The incident was covered on national television and, decades later, explored in Alan Berry and Mark Enochs’ documentary “Dead Man’s Line.” But…