By Any Means

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1:35

By Any Means

R

In Theaters Sep 4

1h 47m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

History

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

71%

Tomatometer

21 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Verified Ratings

Based on a true story, a young Black FBI agent (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is sent into 1960s Mississippi to investigate a wave of brutal killings targeting civil rights leaders. Forced to work alongside notorious mafia hitman Greg Scarpa (Mark Wahlberg), he finds himself pulled into a deadly hunt where justice and vengeance begin to blur. When the system is broken, two men divided by everything agree on one thing: the law has limits. They don't.

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In Theaters Sep 4

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Elegance Bratton

Director

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

Actor

Mark Wahlberg

Actor

Nicole Beharie

Actor

Josh Lucas

Actor

LisaGay Hamilton

Actor

Jake Wilson

Sydney Morning Herald

1h

2.5/5

The uneasy but also intriguing thing about By Any Means is its way of teetering between reality and fantasy – in line with the age-old movie principle that when two contrasting guys are brought together, each of them has something to learn.

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Mark Kennedy

Associated Press

3h

3/4

Full credit to Abdul-Mateen, who has created a complex, charismatic character from thin air, taking his agent Wayne Strider on a slow-burn trip from all tucked-in, waiting-outside respectfully to car-chasing, gun-shooting revenge-fantasy hero.

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Ben Kenigsberg

New York Times

6h

It might have approached the material as either film noir or straight-up exploitation, but its sincerity exists uneasily with its head smashing, and the buddy-cop elements feel out of place.

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Tony Medley

tonymedley.com

1h

7/10

Despite the fictional black agent, it's well made, powerfully acted...Its power comes less from strict factual certainty than from the unsettling truth that, in this episode of American history, justice and lawlessness were sometimes disturbingly close.

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Avi Offer

NYC Movie Guru

3h

A gritty and well-cast, but tonally uneven, shallow and by-the-numbers crime thriller.

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Jonathan Sim

ComingSoon.net

3h

6/10

With strong performances from Abdul-Mateen II and Wahlberg and a compelling historical backdrop, By Any Means remains a solid, worthwhile thriller, even if it ultimately feels more familiar than unforgettable.

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Donald A

2h

I liked the story and the violence, nothing about this story was unbelievable. Movie was well done.

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jesse v

47m

Making a movie in the same universe as Sinners is certainly a choice. Though the story doesn't really offer anything new if you knew about the racial wars. Wahlberg really carries this movie, unfortunately (in context to the story). It goes from a racial battle to a buddy-cop film with 1920s references plopped on top, not neatly spiced. This somehow has less action than crime 101, and we only see strider's office and colleagues only once. We don't see the duo actually drive throughout different locations.

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Ibrahim M

@IbSMo 48m

An Exploding Powder Keg of Movie Magic! Great mix of serious subject, multi dimensional characters and butt whooping action. Anyone who doesn’t love this doesn’t know what a fantastic movie is. Can’t help but cheer when the bad guys get what’s coming!

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Seth L

@FilmReview04 1h

This movie deserves it flowers! A very telling story about 1960’s Mississippi and activities by the FBI investigating murders and their tactics. Mark Wahlberg shines again and Mateen delivers his best performance in years. Definitely a must see for anyone thats a fan of crime thrillers

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sunni G

@RT19740567 1h

Amazing movie! Mark & Yayha acting was incredible, their chemistry was unmatched! Will definitely being going to watch again to bring friends and family:)

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Kim H

@khowdill 2h

The flow of the story was a little disconnected and some scenes were cut that should be included to fill in the gaps. The ending was stopped prematurely while leaving the audience needing more than a script at the end. For example: Was the FBI agent reinstated or what?

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By Any Means: Featurette - Real Life Hero

1:24

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By Any Means: Featurette - The Mobster

1:31

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By Any Means: Final Trailer

1:35

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By Any Means: Exclusive Featurette - True Story

1:39

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By Any Means: Trailer 1

2:43

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Synopsis

Based on a true story, a young Black FBI agent (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is sent into 1960s Mississippi to investigate a wave of brutal killings targeting civil rights leaders. Forced to work alongside notorious mafia hitman Greg Scarpa (Mark Wahlberg), he finds himself pulled into a deadly hunt where justice and vengeance begin to blur. When the system is broken, two men divided by everything agree on one thing: the law has limits. They don't.

Director: Elegance Bratton
Producer: Alex Lebovici, Chester Algernal Gordon, Elegance Bratton, Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson
Screenwriter: Sascha Penn
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Hammerstone Studios
Rating: R (Pervasive Language|Violence/Bloody Images)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama, History
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 4, 2026, Wide
Runtime: 1h 47m

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