{
  "id": 5359438,
  "title": "‘By Any Means’ Review: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Mark Wahlberg Fight the Klan in Uneven but Effective Crime Drama",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/by-any-means-review-yahya-abdul-mateen-ii-and-mark-wahlberg-fight-the",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-03T16:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TheWrap",
    "slug": "thewrap",
    "url": "https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/by-any-means-review-yahya-abdul-mateen-ii-mark-wahlberg/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "\"By Any Means\" is a crime drama that centers around a dedicated Black FBI agent, Special Agent Wayne Strider (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who partners with an Italian-American mafia hitman, Gregory Scarpa (Mark Wahlberg), to combat the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi in 1966. Despite the film's intriguing premise and strong performances, it struggles to maintain a consistent tone throughout its runtime. Abdul-Mateen II delivers an outstanding performance as Strider, showcasing his ability to navigate complex emotions and bring depth to his character. However, Wahlberg's portrayal of Scarpa, while intriguing, falls into a predictable archetype, leading to a somewhat underwhelming climax. Despite its uneven moments, \"By Any Means\" succeeds in capturing the spirit of its historical setting and features a well-structured screenplay by Sascha Penn. Ultimately, the film serves as a solid starting point for exploring the lives of its main characters, rather than presenting a complete narrative arc in itself.",
  "summary": "Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and director Elegance Bratton do excellent work telling this strange tale about an FBI agent teaming up with a mafia hitman The post ‘By Any Means’ Review: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Mark Wahlberg Fight the Klan in Uneven but Effective Crime Drama appeared first on TheWrap .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Hollywood Reporter",
        "title": "‘By Any Means’ Review: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Mark Wahlberg in a Shallow, if Occasionally Gripping, Historical Crime Thriller",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/by-any-means-review-yahya-abdul-mateen-ii-and-mark-wahlberg-in-a",
        "published": "2026-09-03T16:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Variety",
        "title": "‘By Any Means’ Review: Mark Wahlberg Teaches the Virtues of Violence in Elegance Bratton’s Bluntly Drawn Historical Thriller",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/by-any-means-review-mark-wahlberg-teaches-the-virtues-of-violence-in",
        "published": "2026-09-03T18:12:37.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}