The entertaining story of a man vowing revenge on a mortgage company.

Gus Van Sant’s latest film “Dead Man’s Wire” is inspired by the true story of how Tony Kiristsis (1932-2005) came into the office of Richard “Dick” Hall, who was the president of Meridian Mortgage Company in Indianapolis, Indiana of 1977. He places a shotgun with a wire around his neck, in what he calls a “Dead Man’s Wire.” The wire is connected to the trigger, so any move he makes-if he trips or tries to runaway, well, you know what happens.

This is the first movie Sant has made since “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot,” and it reminds us on the greed and corruption of what some businesses can do to hardworking people, and never exploits this true event. It just uses the right stars, poetic values, and charisma to bring it altogether.

Tony (Bill Skarsgard) uses Dick (Dacre Montgomery) as a hostage to get revenge on his father M.L. (Al Pacino) for screwing him over. It regards his mortgage payments for a piece of real estate. He was originally supposed to have that meeting with his old man, but he’s in Florida for a “business trip.” But even Tony knows that’s a bunch of bull. So, it looks like Dick will have to do.

Tony calls the police (with Cary Elwes disguised by make-up as Detective Michael Grable), so he can help get his message out there with the media (with Myha’la as an ambitious younger reporter Linda Page and Coleman Domingo as the DJ Fred Temple), and he takes a cop car to his apartment. He wants money, to walk out a free man, and an apology from both the company and M.L. But do you honestly think the old man would apologize to this struggling young man?

A nice touch is how the poster says: “His revolution was televised,” and the film closes to the tune of Gil Scott-Heron’s “Revolution Will Not Be Televised.” This is about the third movie I’ve seen this season to improvise on the song after “One Battle After Another” and a cover version in “The Running Man.” And unfortunately, the economy still has problems and racism is still going on, but we are willing to fight back, whether we make movies or speak our minds. And some of us try to use less violence in the process.

I wish we could have gotten more within the screenplay written by Austin Kolodney, but “Dead Man’s Wire” still delivers a lot of poetic justice and tells this true story with convincing performances and an honest cinematography by Arnaud Potier. Sant is a filmmaker, who also makes most of his films merging with the moods of the characters and time and places. Skarsgard started the year poorly with “Locked,” and it’s kind of in the same formula regarding the rich and poor and how dangerously they clash together. To me, that film acted desperate for entertainment, but “Dead Man’s Wire” allows the young actor to deliver the emotions and convictions with seriousness. Now that Skarsgard can learn a thing or two or this Skarsgard.

I also appreciated how Montgomery displays the fears and guilt of Dick, and we’re not even convinced that he’s sorry. Either he feels bad or he doesn’t want to get shot. And Domingo has the voice and style to play the DJ, who isn’t here to make a cameo or have his name on the poster. He’s here to listen to Tony’s words and to spread them on the station.

Some critics would describe this movie as a “miniature” “Dog Day Afternoon” (Variety) or a throwback to 70s movies, and it does make absolute sense. And I’m n to just saying that because Pacino is cast in this film (and a screening of that classic film is how I met him). I’m saying this because of the tensity of a hostage situation in a time and place, and because of the humanity placed in the characters. “Dead Man’s Wire” knows what it’s capable of.

One Week Engagement in Select Theaters This Friday

Opens in Select Theaters January 9th and Expands on 16th.