"If nobody sees it, it didn't happen"

Johnny Depp as Whitey Bulger

I'm not the biggest fan of Johnny Depp, and I've always found his style of acting to be annoying as hell but only slightly better than even the likes of Adam Sandler. However, there are a few rare occasions where we get to see Depp truly put his acting chops to good use, in this case as the savagely infamous James "Whitey" Bulger, the most notorious and wanted criminal in South Boston history and leader of the Walter Hill gang. In 1975, Jimmy has control of all organized crime in South Boston but his reign is threatened from an up and coming group called the Angiulo Brothers rumored to have connections to the Mafia. To gain an advantage over his imposing enemies, Jimmy agrees to work with fellow South Boston native and FBI agent John Conolly (Joel

Edgerton) to be their informant; so long as Jimmy complies with their rules to not kill anyone or move any drugs while working with them. But Jimmy ignores these rules and uses his protection status to expand his enterprise, complicating his relationship with the FBI as well as with Conolly. Black Mass doesn't do much differently from other films in the genre but by comparison it is a step above most others. Most of the film's success is indebted to Depp's transformation as Whitey as well as his performance and the excellent cast; bringing to life the hellish era of South Boston's dark history. A little slow in some parts but overall Black Mass stands as a memorable true story mobster film and by far Johnny Depp's best film to date bar none. Don't miss out.


-Reviewed by Razor, 9/20/15