By Any Means (2026)

In terms of cinematic quality, this true story positions itself somewhere between *Mississippi Burning* and *In the Heat of the Night*. All in all, the characters could have been fleshed out more, as could the role of the FBI. The film currently gets bogged down in action with excessive violence. Assuming this is a "true story" and it clearly demonstrates once again what racism does to people, I give it a 3.6*. Wahlberg and Mateen II portray their roles well.

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Very enjoyable, especially due to the atmosphere. It remains a page in history that I can never quite comprehend; how this could still be happening in the US in the 60s. That overall portrayal is simply well presented, and the basic story is okay. The pacing is also good; the film is less than two hours long but feels even shorter. Wahlberg is clearly enjoying himself but plays a caricature a bit too much, and Abdul-Mateen II fulfills his role but is completely interchangeable and acts rather colorlessly. However, the pace, atmosphere, and theme ensure that the film scores well as a whole. 3.5*.

Translated from Dutch · View original