By Any Means

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Movie Info & Cast

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.

Cast

  • Mark Wahlberg
  • Giancarlo Esposito
  • Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
  • David Strathairn
  • Josh Lucas
  • Ethan Embry
  • Nicole Beharie
  • LisaGay Hamilton
  • Alanna Masterson
  • LaChanze
Moviegoers are saying
Audiences split on the Mafia-FBI pairing: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's restrained Agent Strider and Mark Wahlberg's smirking Scarpa draw the most praise, though many reviewers feel the tone never settles and the mystery is thin. Most viewers who came for the true story of the 1966 Mississippi murders left impressed, with several calling it 'Riveting' and 'intense,' and a handful of 3/10 scores are mostly aimed at Wahlberg's antics.
Top Mentions
Heart-Pounding
Ripped-From-The-Record
Gut-Punch
Adrenaline-Rush
Stacked-Cast
Must-See-History
Summary generated from the text of Atom User reviews

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.1
32.3K
9.6K
7.7K
RATINGS 9 FANS
3.1

Queue Community Reviews

87%
Community 1,270
❤️ LOVE
17%
👍 LIKE
70%
😐 MEH
10%
👎 DISLIKE
3%
Top Reviews

Atom Users Reviews

4.5
117
46
22
0
1
POPULAR TAGS

Reviews

Metacritic

50
metacritic
Based on 20 Critics
tbd

USER SCORE (0)

There are no user reviews yet
38
Sep 4, 2026

The film gestures toward interrogating state-sanctioned violence, but dubiously so, as it’s mostly content to celebrate revenge as justice.

Metacritic review by Derek Smith
Derek Smith
Slant Magazine
40
Sep 4, 2026

It’s a mess of a thing, burdened by Wahlberg’s hammy impersonation and co-star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II floundering to find a center for his character, special agent Wayne Strider.

Metacritic review by Alison Willmore
Alison Willmore
New York Magazine (Vulture)
70
Sep 3, 2026

Civil-rights dramas tend to be preachy and self-congratulatory, painting halos on the white saviors and the black victims, but the rousing By Any Means takes a literally punchy approach.

Metacritic review by Kyle Smith
Kyle Smith
Wall Street Journal

Frequently Asked Questions

Is By Any Means (2026) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as R, meaning that Under 17 requires an adult accompaniment.
What's By Any Means (2026) about?
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.
Who's the cast of By Any Means (2026)?
  • Mark Wahlberg as Greg Scarpa
  • Giancarlo Esposito
  • Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
  • David Strathairn
  • Josh Lucas
  • Ethan Embry
  • Nicole Beharie
  • LisaGay Hamilton
  • Alanna Masterson as Connie Scarpa
  • LaChanze
Who's the director behind By Any Means (2026)?
Elegance Bratton directed By Any Means (2026).
Who produced By Any Means (2026)?
Chester Algernal Gordon, Elegance Bratton and Basil Iwanyk produced By Any Means (2026).