Mark Wahlberg and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Team Up in Gritty New Thriller By Any Means
Hollywood has a long history of unforgettable mismatched buddy-cop pairings, from Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy in 48 Hrs. to Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in Rush Hour and, of course, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon.
Now, Mark Wahlberg and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II are stepping into that tradition with By Any Means, a gritty historical thriller that throws two very different men together against the backdrop of racial violence in the American South during the late 1960s.
Directed by Elegance Bratton, the film follows Abdul-Mateen II as Wayne Strider, a young, by-the-book Black FBI agent from the South. His unlikely partner is Wahlberg’s Gregory Scarpa, a ruthless New York Mafia hitman recruited by the FBI to help solve a case that authorities have struggled to crack.
The story centers on the 1966 firebombing murder of Mississippi NAACP leader Vernon Dahmer Sr. With the Ku Klux Klan deeply embedded in parts of local law enforcement, Scarpa is given unusual freedom to pursue the investigation — with one crucial warning: “Nobody can know.”
Based on true events, By Any Means blends historical fact with fictional elements. Scarpa was a real Mafia figure who became an FBI informant during the investigation into the murders of civil rights activists in Mississippi. Strider, however, is a fictional composite character created for the film.
Abdul-Mateen delivers a compelling performance as Strider evolves from a cautious, by-the-book agent into a man willing to confront violence head-on. Wahlberg, meanwhile, embraces Scarpa’s intimidating persona, complete with a toothpick, sunglasses, distinctive hair and an unmistakable gangster attitude.
The film is strengthened by a talented supporting cast, including Nicole Beharie, LisaGay Hamilton and Giancarlo Esposito. Its period details, colorful costumes, classic cars and soundtrack featuring artists such as Nina Simone, Ray Charles, Dinah Washington and Curtis Mayfield add to the movie’s atmosphere.
At the center of the story is the uneasy relationship between Strider and Scarpa — and the question of whether violence can ever be justified in the pursuit of justice.
Their partnership eventually erupts into a brutal confrontation reminiscent of classic buddy-cop movies, before the story races toward an intense and bloody finale.
Despite some excess along the way, By Any Means introduces a compelling new screen pairing in Abdul-Mateen II and Wahlberg, combining action, history and a tense clash of personalities.
By Any Means, a Paramount Pictures release, hits theaters September 4. The film is rated R for violence, bloody images and pervasive language, with a runtime of 107 minutes.