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Black Mass

  • 20152015
  • RR
  • 2h 3m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
179K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
329
80
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Kevin Bacon, Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Dakota Johnson, Jesse Plemons, Peter Sarsgaard, Corey Stoll, and Benedict Cumberbatch in Black Mass (2015)
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.
Play trailer2:33
31 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Biography
  • Crime
  • Drama
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... Read allThe 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.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.
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
179K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
329
80
  • Director
    • Scott Cooper
  • Writers
    • Mark Mallouk(screenplay)
    • Jez Butterworth(screenplay)
    • Dick Lehr(based on the book by)
  • Stars
    • Johnny Depp
    • Benedict Cumberbatch
    • Dakota Johnson
Top credits
  • Director
    • Scott Cooper
  • Writers
    • Mark Mallouk(screenplay)
    • Jez Butterworth(screenplay)
    • Dick Lehr(based on the book by)
  • Stars
    • Johnny Depp
    • Benedict Cumberbatch
    • Dakota Johnson
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 385User reviews
    • 424Critic reviews
    • 68Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 6 wins & 24 nominations

    Videos31

    Trailer #2
    Trailer 2:33
    Trailer #2
    Trailer #1
    Trailer 1:50
    Trailer #1
    First Look
    Trailer 2:13
    First Look
    Youre Changing
    Clip 1:32
    Youre Changing
    Whats The Secret Recipe
    Clip 1:22
    Whats The Secret Recipe
    Its An Alliance
    Clip 1:09
    Its An Alliance
    You Got Two Weeks
    Clip 0:47
    You Got Two Weeks
    Take The Bag
    Clip 1:03
    Take The Bag
    Do Your Job
    Clip 0:57
    Do Your Job
    Just Trust Me
    Clip 1:12
    Just Trust Me
    Hows Your Brother
    Clip 1:29
    Hows Your Brother
    Kate Winslet and Dakota Johnson Rock the Red Carpet in Toronto
    Featurette 1:39
    Kate Winslet and Dakota Johnson Rock the Red Carpet in Toronto

    Photos131

    Johnny Depp and Rory Cochrane in Black Mass (2015)
    Dakota Johnson in Black Mass (2015)
    Julianne Nicholson in Black Mass (2015)
    Johnny Depp in Black Mass (2015)
    Johnny Depp and Joel Edgerton in Black Mass (2015)
    Joel Edgerton in Black Mass (2015)
    Johnny Depp, Rory Cochrane, Joel Edgerton, and David Harbour in Black Mass (2015)
    Johnny Depp and Benedict Cumberbatch in Black Mass (2015)
    Joel Edgerton and Benedict Cumberbatch in Black Mass (2015)
    Rory Cochrane in Black Mass (2015)
    Benedict Cumberbatch in Black Mass (2015)
    Adam Scott, Joel Edgerton, and David Harbour in Black Mass (2015)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Johnny Depp
    Johnny Depp
    • James 'Whitey' Bulgeras James 'Whitey' Bulger
    Benedict Cumberbatch
    Benedict Cumberbatch
    • Billy Bulgeras Billy Bulger
    Dakota Johnson
    Dakota Johnson
    • Lindsey Cyras Lindsey Cyr
    Joel Edgerton
    Joel Edgerton
    • John Connollyas John Connolly
    Kevin Bacon
    Kevin Bacon
    • FBI Agent Charles McGuireas FBI Agent Charles McGuire
    Peter Sarsgaard
    Peter Sarsgaard
    • Brian Halloranas Brian Halloran
    Jesse Plemons
    Jesse Plemons
    • Kevin Weeksas Kevin Weeks
    Rory Cochrane
    Rory Cochrane
    • Stephen Flemmias Stephen Flemmi
    David Harbour
    David Harbour
    • John Morrisas John Morris
    Adam Scott
    Adam Scott
    • FBI Agent Robert Fitzpatrickas FBI Agent Robert Fitzpatrick
    Corey Stoll
    Corey Stoll
    • Fred Wyshakas Fred Wyshak
    Julianne Nicholson
    Julianne Nicholson
    • Marianne Connollyas Marianne Connolly
    W. Earl Brown
    W. Earl Brown
    • John Martoranoas John Martorano
    • (as W Earl Brown)
    Bill Camp
    Bill Camp
    • John Callahanas John Callahan
    Juno Temple
    Juno Temple
    • Deborah Husseyas Deborah Hussey
    Mark Mahoney
    Mark Mahoney
    • Mickey Maloneyas Mickey Maloney
    Brad Carter
    Brad Carter
    • John McIntyreas John McIntyre
    Scott Anderson
    Scott Anderson
    • Tommy Kingas Tommy King
    • Director
      • Scott Cooper
    • Writers
      • Mark Mallouk(screenplay)
      • Jez Butterworth(screenplay)
      • Dick Lehr(based on the book by)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

    Johnny Depp Through the Years

    Johnny Depp Through the Years

    Take a look back at Johnny Depp's movie and TV career in photos.
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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Many of the murder scenes were shot in the locations where the real-life murders took place.
    • Goofs
      In the film, Buddy Leonard diffuses a fight between Whitey Bulger and Tommy King at Triple O's. Tommy is subsequently murdered, and Buddy is found dead in the front seat of a car a few scenes later. In real life, Buddy was murdered before the altercation at Triple O's. His death was the real reason Tommy attacked Bulger.
    • Quotes

      Whitey Bulger: [from trailer]

      [at dinner]

      Whitey Bulger: What did you marinate this steak in? Because it's out of this world! You're killing me with it!

      John Morris: Now, now, it's a family secret.

      Whitey Bulger: Oh, come on! You got to tell me that! What's the secret? Come on, you can do it, come on, that is one of the best goddamn steaks I have ever had in my entire life. What's the family secret recipe?

      John Morris: It's ground garlic, with a bit of soy.

      Whitey Bulger: That's it?

      John Morris: Yeah, that's it.

      Whitey Bulger: [pause] I thought it was a family secret.

      John Morris: It's a recipe.

      Whitey Bulger: No, no. You said to me this is a family secret, and you gave it up to me, boom just like that. You spill the secret family recipe today, maybe you spill a little something about me tomorrow, hm?

      John Morris: I was just saying that...

      Whitey Bulger: You were just saying? "Just saying" gets people sent away. "Just saying" got me a nine-year stretch in Alcatraz, you understand? So, "just saying" can get you buried real quick.

      [suddenly laughs]

      Whitey Bulger: Look at his face!

    • Crazy credits
      As the actors are listed, pictures and footage of the real people they portrayed are shown.
    • Connections
      Featured in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Hillary Clinton/Dakota Johnson/Fetty Wap (2015)
    • Soundtracks
      It's Not My Cross to Bear
      Written by Gregg Allman

      Performed by The Allman Brothers Band

      Courtesy of Island Records

      Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

    User reviews385

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    A hot blooded gangster film about a cold blooded bastard.
    Black Mass tells the story of the infamous alliance between the Boston FBI and the city's bastard son, James "Whitey" Bulger. In telling a story that has stained Boston and the FBI for all of eternity and telling with precision, guts and, most of all, honesty, it solidifies Black Mass as one of the best films of the year thus far. Starring an unrecognizable Johnny Depp and a scene stealing Joel Edgerton, the film blasts off on screen, making you want more and more as it play out. Just like in typical gangster fashion, there are long speeches, there is brutal violence and there is not one moment where it ever lets up. While the film itself doesn't break any new ground regarding gangster films, it is still a more than welcomed addition to the lot of them and may even become iconic but it is a bit too early to tell. Johnny Depp is absolutely fantastic as Bulger. Depp brings a level of performance to the table that we haven't seen in years. He can be charming, cunning, ruthless and, at times, so cold blooded you question if this man has any humanity. For an actor to be able to pull off this kind of role, it takes a specific mind set and Johnny Depp nails it. Between scenes of him murdering anyone who threatens his empire, we see Bulger, the family man. The man that would kill for nothing being brought to his knees as he is told his son has died. There is humanity in Depp's performance as Bulger, there's just so many layers to peel back in order to get to it. I can't rave about Depp enough. The man is mind blowingly fantastic in this film and no words I can put down can justify the level of perfection he brings to this film. Joel Edgerton plays John Connolly, who ends up stealing the show in many scenes. Edgerton has become a force to be reckoned with and a pool of untapped talent that has finally been able to roar to the surface with August's The Gift (for which he wrote, directed and starred) and now with Black Mass. I sense an Oscar nomination for his work in Black Mass. He is THAT good. To be able to act opposite of Depp's career best performance and hold your own, that is saying something in and of itself. Benedict Cumberbatch, Dakota Johnson, Kevin Bacon, Jesse Plemons, Julianne Nicholson, Rory Cochrane and everyone else in this cast is pitch perfect. Even Dakota Johnson is good but then again, my expectations for her was that it was going to be hard to take her seriously but she ended up delivering a fantastic performance as Lyndsay Cyr. Scott Cooper has directed some pretty fantastic films, Crazy Heart and Out of the Furnace. But Black Mass is his masterpiece thus far. Cooper created a film drenched in the styles of the 70s cinema. It acts a love letter to films like The Godfather, The Friends of Eddie Coyle, Mean Streets and even Serpico. Cooper's direction skyrockets what could have easily been a bomb into something very organic and very special. The cinematography is absolutely fantastic in this film, covering Boston never like a character but as a playground for Whitey. It is engrossing and engaging throughout and never overwhelming like Cooper's Out of the Furnace cinematography was. Every component to this film screams for perfection and with a director like Scott Cooper and a cast headed by an Oscar worthy Johnny Depp, the film gets just that...perfection.
    helpful•39
    38
    • trublu215
    • Sep 10, 2015

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    [object Object]
    Photos

    FAQ1

    • How was Whitey Bulger able to get away with his deception for so long?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 18, 2015 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • United Kingdom
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Bố Già Huyền Thoại
    • Filming locations
      • Lynn, Massachusetts, USA
    • Production companies
      • Cross Creek Pictures
      • RatPac-Dune Entertainment
      • Grisbi Productions, Le
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $53,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $62,575,678
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $22,635,037
      • Sep 20, 2015
    • Gross worldwide
      • $99,775,678
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 3 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Datasat
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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