Black Mass Review

Johnny Depp breaks out of the roles he has been typecast into in Black Mass. And he does this very convincingly. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie does not live up to that performance.

Johnny Depp plays James "Whitey" Bulger, one of the most notorious gangsters in US history, in a movie that chronicles his illegal relations with an FBI agent. He disappears into this role, and truly becomes Bulger. He comes across as very intimidating. His performance elevates this otherwise forgettable gangster movie.

The movie does very little to distinguish itself from other gangster movies. There are very few scenes that are truly memorable. There are not many sympathetic characters in this movie, so it is hard to feel for anybody when they are put through generic gangster movie situations. Altogether, while the movie is still reasonably interesting, it never really sucks you in.

However, the amazing performance of Johnny Depp is enough to recommend this movie. The movie itself probably won't last the test of time, but it is an interesting diversion.

3 out of 5 stars