This is by far one of Johnny Depp's best movies. He took on the character really well and even though I don't know the real Jimmy, Depp managed to portray a cold-hearted murderer and criminal flawlessly. Well done to Scott Cooper for the directing. I loved the pace of the movie. From the beginning to the end, it's the type of movie you can't afford to miss a scene. Great job.

The film tells the true story of Whitey Bulger, and there are various strands of it which could have been the focus of that story (his links to his Senator Brother, links to the IRA, etc) , but the one chosen is his partnership with the FBI. This reveals the murky nature of the FBI at that time in which his agent handler is more concerned with using Whitey to further his own career, protecting him as a source, rather than using Whitey as an informant to bring down the Italian Mafia. This is because they grew up togethor. The inter-relationships are sketched out more as politics, and business, rather than personal, and whilst engaging, the lack of that personal element is what keeps this film as a steady film, rather than an outstanding one, despite some excellent acting, and period style.

The true story of Whitey Bulger, the brother of a state senator and the most infamous violent criminal in the history of South Boston, who became an FBI informant to take down a Mafia family invading his turf.A pretty good film concerning Mafia families - The Godfather, Serpico, or even Donnie Brasco would make a great feature to go with Black Mass.8/10

For some reason I do not remember, I ended up watching this movie in the cinema. As the plot progressed, it became more and more pretentious, something like a failed attempt to copy the work of the great Marty Scorsese. Johnny Depp is an actor with abilities, manages to build a truly sinister character. Joel Edgerton effectively achieves an exasperating character for his idiocy and his pathetic pretense of being a gangster. The story is told in the typical flashback format from the point of view of a former gangster belonging to the Whitey Bulger (Depp) gang. The formula is repeated, we see his rise, his position in the neighborhood, his ally FBI agent John Connolly (Edgerton) who protects him, business with dirty politicians, loose ends, and of course all this converges in the predictable fall of these characters. Nothing new.Hollywood sometimes gets bored, and it comes up with the idea of ​​ producing films with little innovative content, which repeat themselves as can be seen also in "American Hustle" (2013), in desperate attempts to emulate the masterful narrative of great films such as "Goodfellas" (1990), "Casino" (1995), or "Scarface" (1983).