Film Review: BY ANY MEANS (2026): Great Performances Fuel This Very Watchable Drama Set in 1960’s Mississippi

By Any Means Review

By Any Means (2026) Film Review, a movie directed by Elegance Bratton, written by Sascha Penn and starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Wahlberg, Nicole Beharie, David Strathairn, Josh Lucas, LisaGay Hamilton, Ethan Embry, Giancarlo Esposito, LaChanze, Biko Eisen-Martin, Will Brittain, DeVere Jehl, Jody Thompson, Zach Lane, Lee Perkins, John C. Martin and Daniel Annone.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Mark Wahlberg excel in the powerful new civil rights drama from filmmaker Elegance Bratton, By Any Means. Set in 1966 Mississippi, this action picture never ceases to be entertaining as it shows the audience how the FBI secretly employed mafia hitman, Greg Scarpa (Wahlberg), to assist a Black agent, Wayne Strider (Abdul-Mateen II), in bringing down some men responsible for a key activist’s death. There are many elements of By Any Means that work well in the tried and true sense of a drama looking to shed light on historic injustices. However, Wahlberg’s very distinct performance (aided by some creative make-up choices) rises the picture to something different from the norm, which will appeal to audiences looking for a thought-provoking film.

This film opens with three men disappearing after going door-to-door for a very distinct cause. Scarpa is seen torturing a couple of men at the film’s start as well. He is trying to get information from them. Wayne Strider and his wife, Allison (the perfectly cast Nicole Beharie), have come to town for Wayne’s work. Soon, the audience meets a local man, Vernon Dahmer (the always terrific Giancarlo Esposito), who is assisting Black voters in securing fair voter’s rights. Also introduced in the proceedings early on is David Strathairn’s Special Agent Roy K. Moore.

When a central character is killed, Scarpa and Wayne team up as Wayne soon learns that Scarpa isn’t afraid to do what has to be done to push potential witnesses beyond the breaking point, which will (hopefully) lead them to divulging important information in the case. “By any means necessary,” Scarpa goes after people one-by-one, and, in one key sequence, Scarpa goes to a mechanic with a wad of cash to get information on a vehicle that will lead to discovering the identities of the men responsible for the aforementioned murder.

Abdul Mateen II and Beharie have solid chemistry together. Beharie is particularly effective when Allison declares that she will not leave town without Wayne because they’re in whatever trouble they’re in together. Beharie plays this part rather effectively as Abdul Mateen’s character goes through a powerful transformation from a man afraid of going against the rule book to an agent who isn’t afraid to rebel and go against the norm, thanks to the involvement of the fearless and undeniably shady, Scarpa.

Scarpa and Wayne have some great cinematic moments together such as when Wayne is in a situation where he may get beaten up and killed by some chief heavies in the movie. Scarpa disappears from the action for a minute to test Wayne and see if he can fend for himself before coming around in their vehicle and knocking the racist lowlifes out of the way, thus saving Wayne’s life. An earlier, more humorous, moment has Scarpa denying that he comes from New Jersey and confirming he’s actually from Brooklyn.

Wahlberg has obviously been cast in a role that is different from the many recent roles he has played. With a long nose and a pot belly, and wearing a white wife beater T-shirt, Wahlberg immerses himself in the part and comes up with one of his best performances to date. In the less showy role, Abdul Mateen II more than holds his own beside Wahlberg as the pair create on-screen friction that could lean somewhere between them becoming good friends and killing each other.

There are strong supporting performances from character actors, Esposito and Strathairn, both of whom don’t get nearly enough screen time, yet captivate in the moments in which they do appear on-screen in By Any Means. Meanwhile, the time period is accurately portrayed with the KKK present in the action, and the racist viewpoints of some of the white characters integrated in the storyline. Screen veterans Josh Lucas and Ethan Embry certainly don’t disappoint in their roles as Special Agent Everett Rhodes and a local named Sam Bowers, respectively.

What makes By Any Means special is the rapport between Abdul Mateen II and Wahlberg, who play their roles with the utmost earnestness and come up aces in their respective turns. It may feel the material has been done before, but the edge given to the script by the formidable presence of Scarpa in the action rises the film above any similarly themed movie that has been released in the past.

By Any Means is about the quest for equal rights and the fight of two men to bring justice to those who have violated human civil rights and the law. This film does end with some tidbits about the movie’s portrayal of these themes. One of them states that the FBI denied using Scarpa in the quest for justice while another explains how some of the people arrested weren’t fully brought to the maximum level of justice they may have deserved. This is an interesting picture commandeered by Wahlberg, who time and time again, proves he’s one of our most underrated actors.

Rating: 7.5/10

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