Black Mass

There are various facets of this movie that make it a stunning success. First of all are the cast. Everyone in the film seemed to be completely synchronized and at par in recreating the story of this boston gangster. Of course, with his starring role, Johnny Depp is at the center of it all. There are a few scenes where johnny Depp is especially effective and outright terrifying that he will make your skin crawl, especially the ladies. But it suffices to say that everyone else in the movie is his equal with regards to adding to the overall feeling of authenticity portrayed in this movie. And authenticity is a word that feels really well placed here, as the entire experience feels really close to what I would imagine be the life back then for these gangsters. Of course, I have no way of validating that but it certainly didn't feel exaggerated by Hollywood standards. There were no big elaborate explosions, no high-speed chases, no elaborate plots to have someone taken care of... It was simple: just get close and shoot. And to be honest, it felt more realistic and believable than anything else Hollywood usually comes up with. This is probably due to the fact that the entire movie was based on the case files and testimonies, but nevertheless, I applaud Hollywood for sticking to the script. The way the story is told is also an interesting choice as it takes place through the recounting of testimonies. All in all, Black Mass is really well executed storytelling.