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Elegance Bratton’s “By Any Means” arrives as a historical thriller that struggles under the weight of its own contradictions. The film, starring Mark Wahlberg as mob enforcer Greg Scarpa and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as FBI Agent Wayne Strider, follows an unlikely partnership investigating crimes during the civil rights era in 1960s Mississippi. While the movie opens with authentic archival footage documenting the disappearance of three civil rights workers during Freedom Summer, it quickly pivots toward a fictional narrative centered on brutal violence as a means of obtaining information.
The film’s central premise hinges on contrasting methodologies between its two leads. Wayne advocates for working within the legal system, having dedicated himself to upholding federal law. Greg, conversely, embraces a philosophy of extracting information through violent interrogation. This ideological clash forms the backbone of their investigation into the murder of NAACP chapter president Vernon Dahmer by Ku Klux Klan members, though their partnership feels more like a vehicle for action sequences than genuine character development.
Bratton’s approach to racial dynamics in the film has drawn criticism for its oversimplified treatment of complex historical issues. The narrative plays loosely with historical facts, inventing characters and relationships that never existed, including Wayne Strider himself. Such creative liberties, combined with the film’s elevation of violence as a problem-solving tool, create a dated sensibility that undermines its historical grounding.
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Originally reported by Variety →
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