By Any Means

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1:35

By Any Means

R

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1h 47m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

History

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

55%

Tomatometer

53 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

250+ 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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Kristy Puchko

Mashable

1d

By Any Means misses the mark as a movie with a mission.

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

1d

There's a tendency all too common in crime dramas that I'm tempted to call convenient incompetence... In a way, it feels churlish to pick at By Any Means for this, because, at its best moments, it honors the exalted struggles that it dramatizes.

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Peter Travers

The Travers Take

2d

2/4

This true-life crime story with more than a few Hollywood trimmings has Mark Whalberg and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II fighting racial injustice until cliché quicksand pulls them down.

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Mark Jackson

Epoch Times

22h

3/5

The film delights too much in the admittedly fun concept of a mobbed-up Noo Yawk goombah whacking Southern Klansmen’s knees with a baseball bat.

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Dino-Ray Ramos

DIASPORA

1d

By Any Means is essentially Mississippi Burning for 2026. Abdul-Mateen and Wahlberg have a surprising amount of good chemistry — but I would rather have seen that chemistry in a Lethal Weapon or 48 Hours situation.

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George and Josh Bate

ScreenAnarchy

1d

A clichéd, yet admittedly entertaining movie that takes a bold stance on the inevitability of violence.

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Alesha G

17m

Really enjoyed this movie. I didn’t know what to expect I just saw a brief synopsis and went for it. Great telling of the hard story of our history. But great acting by all the characters. Would definitely recommend watching.

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Robert S

20m

Finally a movie that is watchable. Very good movie.

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Edward b

33m

A little more fiction then the real story bu entertaining

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Alex

34m

Great movie loved it

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Farlisa

40m

Wow, this movie was so amazing. Good to see that justice was finally served. Karma

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Chrisshawn S

40m

Flawless performances from all the actors. I absolutely loved it! 😊

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Elegance Bratton

Director

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

Actor

Mark Wahlberg

Actor

Nicole Beharie

Actor

Josh Lucas

Actor

LisaGay Hamilton

Actor

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By Any Means: Featurette - Real Life Hero

1:24

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By Any Means: Featurette - The Mobster

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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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