Black Mass

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Black Mass

R

2015

2h 2m

Biography

Crime

Drama

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Popcornmeter

74%

Tomatometer

288 Reviews

68%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

While his brother Bill (Benedict Cumberbatch) remains a powerful leader in the Massachusetts Senate, Irish hoodlum James "Whitey" Bulger (Johnny Depp) continues to pursue a life of crime in the 1970s Boston. Approached by FBI agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton), the lawman convinces Whitey to help the agency fight the Italian mob. As their unholy alliance spirals out of control, Bulger increases his power and evades capture to become one of the most dangerous gangsters in U.S. history.

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Critics Consensus

Black Mass spins a gripping yarn out of its fact-based story -- and leaves audiences with one of Johnny Depp's most compelling performances in years.

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Angie Han

Slashfilm

06/14/2017

Scott Cooper appears to have made Black Mass under the assumption that his work was half done the moment he jotted the words "Boston-set crime drama" on a notepad.

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Kristen Yoonsoo Kim

Complex

02/22/2017

2/5

Depp sticks out like a sore thumb in an otherwise bland crime drama. And when the film isn't distracting, it's mostly just plain boring.

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Max Weiss

Baltimore Magazine

06/12/2016

2/4

Yes, it's a relief to see Depp playing a real character again, not another one of his circus freaks -- I just wish he'd been given a better film to operate in.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Jan 2

3/4

Black Mass ably demonstrates that there's still some life left in a genre that, just when we think we're out, pulls us back in.

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

02/16/2024

3/5

Still, for at least two hours, it's awfully nice to stare in impressive awe at Johnny Depp without having to roll our eyes or squint.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

05/27/2022

2.5/4

Despite the seemingly eternal appeal of gangsters in cinema, and Bulger as a subject of fascination and horror, Black Mass proves to be little more than uninterestingly made based-on-a-true-story fare.

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Ian M

09/07/2024

Dont glorify what he did, solid film

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Bobby B

@Bobby301 Jun 13

Great movie. The acting and writing were awesome. Rory Cochran gave a great performance as did Johnny Depp as Whiter Bulger. Menacing.

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JM H

@JMH9999 May 9

If you’re familiar with the Whitey Bulger saga, you’ll want to see this. Depp nails it. The actors do a great job on the local accent. Jesse Plemmons, Dakota Johnson, Joel Edgerton, et al really sound authentic. The story is just creepy as hell, but so was the real story.

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Ronnie M

@spuncake Apr 18

I just thought it was a little boring...It focused on the FBI too much. Could've been so much better

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shane o

@Shanes_DVD_Shack Jan 28

It was a good movie , I liked the pace and feel the acting was very good an around , I would have liked if there was a more in depth look at the man character. I feel like I didn’t learn much about him .

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Zach J.

@Jenkins158 Dec 14

6.5/10

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Scott Cooper

Director

Johnny Depp

James "Whitey" Bulger

Joel Edgerton

John Connolly

Benedict Cumberbatch

Bill Bulger

Dakota Johnson

Lindsey Cyr

Kevin Bacon

FBI Agent Charles McGuire

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Synopsis

While his brother Bill (Benedict Cumberbatch) remains a powerful leader in the Massachusetts Senate, Irish hoodlum James "Whitey" Bulger (Johnny Depp) continues to pursue a life of crime in the 1970s Boston. Approached by FBI agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton), the lawman convinces Whitey to help the agency fight the Italian mob. As their unholy alliance spirals out of control, Bulger increases his power and evades capture to become one of the most dangerous gangsters in U.S. history.

Director: Scott Cooper
Producer: John Lesher, Brian Oliver, Scott Cooper, Patrick McCormick, Tyler Thompson
Screenwriter: Mark Mallouk, Jez Butterworth
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Head Gear Films, Free State Pictures, Warner Bros., Le Grisbi, Cross Creek Pictures, RatPac-Dune Entertainment
Rating: R (Brutal Violence|Brief Drug Use|Language Throughout|Some Sexual References)
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 18, 2015, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 4, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $62.6M
Runtime: 2h 2m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)