By Any Means

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By Any Means

R

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1h 47m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

History

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Popcornmeter

49%

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65 Reviews

89%

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500+ 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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Monica Castillo

AV Club

1 day ago

C-

Bratton uses the film to prove he has the big-budget chops to handle movie stars, and Abdul-Mateen plays out each of his character’s conflicted feelings with nuance, but they’re both overshadowed by the antics of Wahlberg’s dead-eyed antihero.

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Alison Willmore

New York Magazine/Vulture

1 day ago

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.

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Kristy Puchko

Mashable

4 days ago

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

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Carla Hay

Culture Mix

4 hrs ago

By Any Means stumbles with shallow characters and racial condescension in depicting investigations of violent crimes against civil rights activists in 1960s Mississippi. A white mobster constantly tells an African American FBI agent what to do.

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James Berardinelli

ReelViews

4 hrs ago

2.5/5

The film never provides a central villain to direct the evils of the henchmen. As a result, the movie concludes with the nagging feeling that something critical is missing.

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Rick Bentley

KGET-TV (Bakersfield, CA)

8 hrs ago

C-

The truth of “By Any Means” is that despite a standout performance by Abdul-Mateen, the film wallows in so much hatred, corruption and radical racism that the film ends up being uncomfortable to watch.

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Greg

24 min ago

Wahlberg continues to surprise

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Professor

53 min ago

Some missed opportunities at novelty. Ended up being the same old, “Do whatever you want laws be damned movie ideology.”

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Marie

1 hr ago

The subject matter was difficult but true accounts of what happened in Hattiesburg in the 60s. Well-acted and informative

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Drew

2 hrs ago

Outstanding movie from beginning to end. No complaints

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Roy W

4 hrs ago

This movie is great. One of Mark Wahlbergs best. Super great story

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Chocolateif

4 hrs ago

In this day and time, it's a must see.... to me. Smile.

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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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