By Any Means
By Any Means has plenty to like because the premise is loaded with tension. A Black FBI agent working with a Mafia hitman to investigate the murders of civil rights workers in 1960s Mississippi is an uneasy, uncomfortable setup. The alliance is morally ugly, politically explosive, and rooted in a brutal historical moment, which gives the movie a strong dramatic hook before the investigation even begins.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II gives the film its conscience and emotional center. His character has to operate inside racist systems while also relying on a violent criminal to get justice. That contradiction gives him some of the movie’s strongest material. Abdul-Mateen plays the role with anger, restraint, disgust, calculation, and determination, making the character feel like someone constantly weighing what justice costs when the system itself is compromised.
Mark Wahlberg is interesting as Gregory Scarpa because the movie understands that useful does not mean noble. Scarpa brings blunt force to the story, and there is energy in watching a mob killer get turned loose against men who think they are untouchable. At the same time, the film is smart enough not to pretend that makes him clean. Wahlberg works best when he keeps Scarpa rough, direct, and morally dangerous.
The strongest parts of the movie come from the overlap between crime thriller and civil-rights drama. The murder investigation, intimidation, organized crime, federal pressure, Southern racism, and personal danger all push against each other in a way that gives the story real weight. The film can overexplain its themes at times, especially around racism, hypocrisy, and moral compromise, but the premise is strong, the performances are effective, and By Any Means remains a tense and worthwhile watch.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II gives the film its conscience and emotional center. His character has to operate inside racist systems while also relying on a violent criminal to get justice. That contradiction gives him some of the movie’s strongest material. Abdul-Mateen plays the role with anger, restraint, disgust, calculation, and determination, making the character feel like someone constantly weighing what justice costs when the system itself is compromised.
Mark Wahlberg is interesting as Gregory Scarpa because the movie understands that useful does not mean noble. Scarpa brings blunt force to the story, and there is energy in watching a mob killer get turned loose against men who think they are untouchable. At the same time, the film is smart enough not to pretend that makes him clean. Wahlberg works best when he keeps Scarpa rough, direct, and morally dangerous.
The strongest parts of the movie come from the overlap between crime thriller and civil-rights drama. The murder investigation, intimidation, organized crime, federal pressure, Southern racism, and personal danger all push against each other in a way that gives the story real weight. The film can overexplain its themes at times, especially around racism, hypocrisy, and moral compromise, but the premise is strong, the performances are effective, and By Any Means remains a tense and worthwhile watch.
Mini Review: By Any Means has plenty to like because the premise is loaded with tension. A Black FBI agent working with a Mafia hitman to investigate the murders of civil rights workers in 1960s Mississippi is an uneasy, uncomfortable setup. The alliance is morally ugly, politically explosive, and rooted in a brutal historical moment, which gives the movie a strong dramatic hook before the investigation even begins. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II gives the film its...
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