"Thank God for Whitey Bulger."

Johnny Depp gives a brilliant performance as Jimmy "Whitey" Bulger, leader of the Irish-American Winter Hill Gang in the 1970's and 80's. The film follows his infamous rise to power, with the help from his childhood friend and now FBI Agent, John Connelly (Joel Edgerton).

There are a lot of events that occur in this movie that Whitey has to constantly fix, and that's the coundrum many biopics tend to face; the loss of a sense of direction. The film seems to be heading to a lot of places but the story and narrative seem very unfocused, as the director does not know how to balance several arcs within the film. It feels as if I just saw a story unfold with a very interesting character but in the end, nothing really mattered because there was no specific plot or objective driving it forward. Films such as The Social Network, The Imitation Game, and Straight Outta Compton are examples of biopics that have a driving energy throughout the film; something Black Mass severely lacked, that may have led it to fulfill its potential.


That being said, the cast in this film is absolutely superb and the highlight of the film by far. Depp delivers a long awaited comeback of a role, Edgerton is sharp as usual, and though I wish Cumberbatch was in it more, he obviously delivers as well.

The cinematography is also fantastic in this movie, and really sets the vibe and environment of Boston in the 1970s and 80s. Couples with a tense and unnerving score, there are some great scenes in this film and I truly hope it could have delivered more.

In the end, Black Mass is a biopic that shines because of its brilliant ensemble of a cast but in the end, is muddled down due to its lack of focus and narrative structure.