The Wasteland Reviewer

By Any Means (2026) Written Review

How far would you go to take down a group of people driven by pure hatred and to gain justice for the ruthless murder of a public servant? The Federal Bureau of Investigation certainly doesn’t have any qualms about recruiting some ruthless individuals themselves to get the job done. You might not expect this to be true, but the FBI recruited enforcers from the mafia to do some of their dirty work. That is the premise that director Elegance Bratton’s new historical crime thriller captures as hitman Greg Scarpa Sr. teams up with a young black FBI agent, Wayne Strider, to take down the Ku Klux Klan. With the talents of Yahya Abdul Mateen II and Mark Wahlberg, this film has some intriguing ingredients to come to life. 

How does Bratton leave her mark on the film from behind the camera? This is a well-made and overall solid technical experience as a film. The visuals of the film are solid and capture the period setting of the film well. There are certainly some inspired moments of camerawork that help elevate some of the most intense and action heavy scenes. The Klan attack on Giancarlo Esposito’s Vernon Dahmer’s home is a thrilling and intense sequence with plenty of long takes and some impactful physicality. There is a chase sequence later in the film that combines sharp editing and long takes to deliver a thrilling and engrossing experience. There are inspired choices throughout the film from a camera perspective that allow the audience to feel like they are in the scenes. The brutality of the torture scenes stands out in quite an impactful way (that will not shake from you quickly). The composed music aligns well with the period setting and delivers an audio experience that captures the world well. The pacing of the film is a little uneven as there are some moments when the film is slow to progress, then the climax materializes a little too quickly and cleanly. 

Does the screenplay by Sascha Penn do justice to such a heavy subject matter? This film tackles the civil rights movement and hate-crimes perpetrated by the Ku Klux Klan. There are certainly some compelling discourses throughout the film that deepen the thematic experience. You probably didn’t have a black FBI agent and Italian mafioso debating MLK versus Malcolm X on your bingo card by By Any Means delivers that discourse. The moral grey area is that Scarpa becomes such a big source of conflict as he shows such a lack of care for black trauma because it is all about money to him. You also see Agent Strider struggle to stay the course of justice or throw the rule book out the window and join in Scarpa “any means” approach. The narrative spends a good amount of time building out the two protagonists, their dynamic, and getting them into the action. The resolution of the film does come off a bit rushed as the film feels like it comes to a quick end once the tension finally begins to ratchet up. The antagonists are written in such a blunt and stereotypical way. This is not surprising as they are heartless, racist people but they do come off more as caricatures than the truth which is that they are people with normal lives who also chose to murder out of hatred. One of the biggest shortcomings of the film is the dialogue. Blunt and clunky, the way that characters speak throughout the film can be quite frustrating when they are laying out details. There is some strong, engaging dialogue for some characters (especially looking at Mark Wahlberg’s banter) but there are still some elements that leave enough to be desired.

How does this cast navigate this by-the-numbers historical crime thriller? Yahya Abdul Mateen II is such a talented performer, and he brings so much to this role as Agent Strider. You get to see the small moments of joy in his life with his on-screen wife (Nicole Beharie). But you also see a more intense and rigid side when he goes into protection mode regarding his wife. There are some moments of vulnerability as Strider feels powerless in the face of local law enforcement. But there is a darker, more intense side that begins to grow as the film hits its climax and Strider’s family are put in danger. No matter what, Mateen delivers so well. The showier and more fun performance lies with Wahlberg. Big, boisterous, and aggressive, Wahlberg channels some abrasiveness and attitude in a way that he hasn’t shown much since The Departed. He delivers plenty of fun and twisted lines with such vigor. Wahlberg slips into this role so effortlessly even if he is covered in facial prosthetics. One of the biggest supporting turns comes from Esposito. His screentime is limited but he captures the stature of a community leader and the love and passion of a family man. He sells the physicality in his most vulnerable moments. Beharie is a ray of light in this darker film as she elevates the “wife” character with such vigor and charisma. A nice dash of David Strathairn as one of the FBI’s special agents deepens the experience even more. There are plenty of character actors who bring the rest of this cast of characters to life and many of them stand out when they are expressing the pain and anguish in the hands of Wahlberg (and later Mateen). 

Is By Any Means a worthwhile and effective exploration of this terrible time in US history? This film is a fine film that shines a light on a tragic time in United States history and a wild offset of this situation. Mateen and Wahlberg deliver a pair of strong performances with some interesting dynamics between them. Some good filmmaking from director Bratton and a strong supporting cast are just to cherry on top. This is a nice offering to get your attention to start the last fourth of the cinematic year.