Common Sense Media Review
By S. Jhoanna Robledo
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Depp terrifies as dangerously violent real-life gangster.
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Black Mass
What's the Story?
It's the 1970s, and James "Whitey" Bulger (Johnny Depp) is the most feared gangster in Boston's underworld -- but few of his fellow thugs know that he's also working with the FBI. John Connolly (Joel Edgerton), Bulger's childhood friend, has grown up to become an FBI agent, and the two make a complicated arrangement that's the focus of BLACK MASS. In exchange for protection, Bulger provides information that helps Connolly take down his pal's rivals. That leaves Bulger free to expand his own criminal empire -- and as he becomes more successful, he also becomes even more violent.
Is It Any Good?
The story of James "Whitey" Bulger -- mobster-turned-FBI-informant-turned-fugitive -- is the stuff of great fiction; Black Mass nearly does this rich material justice, but not quite. First, the good stuff: Told in a bracing history-revisited fashion bolstered by close-up "interviews," the film feels like it's allowing audiences into the backstage of a criminal investigation that most aren't privy to -- an effective means to lure viewers in. And the actors don't disappoint; as an ensemble, they're like a finely tuned machine (or, if you prefer, gang) that knows how to move with precision, led by a Depp so intense he could make you quake with his stare (though his over-the-top makeup is a bit distracting).
If only the movie dug as deep as it does wide. There's a Cliffs Notes-version feel to the Bulger we see here, and not much time is spent on getting to know what motivates him -- nor what he was like when he was finally captured. Nonetheless, Black Mass thrills.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Black Mass. Is it more or less disturbing than what you'd see in an action or horror movie? Why? What's the impact of different kinds of media violence?
Black Mass is based on a true story. Do you think Bulger was really as violent as he's portrayed here? Why might filmmakers tweak the facts in movies based on real events? How could you find out more?
Talk about the relationship between Bulger and Connolly. Who's using who? Is the FBI agent corrupt, or is he really trying to clean up Boston? How are the "good guys" and "bad guys" different in this movie?
How does the movie address the idea of good vs. evil? Can people be both? Bulger is clearly a bad guy, but his neighbors love him. How can one person be so many different things to different people?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 18, 2015
- On DVD or streaming : December 22, 2015
- Cast : Johnny Depp , Benedict Cumberbatch , Dakota Johnson
- Director : Scott Cooper
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Warner Bros.
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : History
- Run time : 122 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : brutal violence, language throughout, some sexual references and brief drug use
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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