‘By Any Means’ is a Thrilling But Disturbing Chronicle of the Real-Life Pursuit of Justice

September 3, 2026

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Should you see this movie by any means? (CREDIT: Paramount Pictures)

Starring: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Wahlberg, Nicole Beharie, Giancarlo Esposito, Josh Lucas, David Straitharn, Ethan Embry, LisaGay Hamilton, LaChanze, Stephen Bass

Director: Elegance Bratton

Running Time: 107 Minutes

Rating: R for Unbridled Violence and Language

Release Date: September 4, 2026 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: By Any Means wades into the powder keg that was 1960s Mississippi during the civil rights struggle. The FBI took up some terrifying investigations down there, including the murder of activist Vernon Dahmer (Giancarlo Esposito) at the hands of the Ku Klux Klan. Special Agent Wayne Strider (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who was close with Dahmer, is assigned to lead the investigation. But because this case is expected to be particularly violent and intractable, Strider’s superiors inform him that he will be unofficially working alongside a mysterious man named Gregory Scarpa (Mark Wahlberg), who sure seems to be a mafia hitman. Scarpa has no qualms about showering fists and bullets into anyone who stonewalls the investigation. While Strider is stunned by this level of carte blanche, it seems like the only way for them to make any progress, although it doesn’t appear to be doing much to stop the cycle of violence in this crucial fight for justice.

What Made an Impression?: Consequences Be Damned: Like a lot of movies based on true events, By Any Means left me wanting to research the real story. Usually that’s because the onscreen version is so inspiring, and I want that feeling to last with more intimate knowledge. But in this case, it’s kind of the opposite. It might be satisfying in the moment to see someone like Scarpa let loose on a bunch of racists, but surely it’s only adding more fuel to the fire. It would be nice to learn that the real Scarpa was more reined in, though I’m not exactly holding out hope that that was the case.
How Do We Live With All This?: I’d love to tell you that we’re supposed to feel conflicted about the extreme titular means justifying the ends, but I’m not really sure what the filmmakers want us to feel. Director Elegance Bratton delivers it all in an unflinching package that leaves little room for reflection by any of the characters. However, there’s room for us to be reflective as audience members, at least, as we’re not directly implicated in the worst of it. You won’t feel guilty for being entertained, either. I certainly wasn’t. It just would have been nice to have a more direct acknowledgement about the discomfiting nature of it all.
At Least It Sounds Cool: One thing I’m not ambiguous about is the absolutely rousing score from Terence Blanchard. If you heard the logline for this movie and thought, “We need the same composer that they had for BlacKkKlansman,” well, that’s exactly what happened. Blanchard is your man when you need a music package that is going to give your audience’s soul an exhausting jazz workout. It’s invigorating, overpowering, and a little exhausting. So not too different from the investigation itself.

By Any Means is Recommended If You Like: Prosthetic noses

Grade: 3 out of 5 Badges

‘Highest 2 Lowest’ Review: Spike Lee and Denzel Washington Reunite for Another Thriller Through the Streets of NYC

August 12, 2025

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But I Haven’t Seen “Highest 1 Lowest”! (CREDIT: A24)

Starring: Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, Aubrey Joseph, ASAP Rocky, Elijah Wright, Ice Spice, Dean Winters, John Douglas Thompson, LaChanze, Michael Potts, Wendell Pierce

Director: Spike Lee

Running Time: 133 Minutes

Rating: R for Language Mostly, Nothing Extraordinary

Release Date: August 15, 2025 (Theaters)/September 5, 2025 (Apple TV+)

What’s It About?: Operating out of a pristine Brooklyn high-rise penthouse overlooking his empire, Stackin’ Hits CEO David King (Denzel Washington) seemingly has it all: the millions, the cultural cachet, the beautiful family. But there are a few cracks starting to form. The sales aren’t as massive as they used to be, and there’s a buyout offer on the table. And then catastrophe strikes, when his son Trey (Aubrey Joseph) is kidnapped for a $17.5 million ransom. Well, actually, the kidnapper meant to nab Trey, but he mistook his buddy Kyle (Elijah Wright) for him. He still wants those millions, though, even though Kyle’s dad Paul (Jeffrey Wright) isn’t in any position to put together all that cash. That leaves David in the driver’s seat, setting up an epic ethical struggle and a thrilling chase to exact justice when everything that matters is threatened from the bottom to the top.

What Made an Impression?: Big Big Big Big BIG: Spike Lee isn’t always the most maximalist filmmaker, but when he goes big, he doesn’t hold back. And in Highest 2 Lowest, let’s just say his approach is the opposite of small. Obviously, this is a high-stakes situation, but you can make some room for subtlety in even the most high-stakes scenarios if you want to. Or you can do what Lee and his cast and crew do and leave absolutely everything on the screen, and have it all triple-underlined by Howard Drossin’s bombastic operatic jazz score. Adjust your sensibilities accordingly if you don’t want to be absolutely overwhelmed.
NYC Isn’t Dead: Did you know that Spike Lee is a proud New Yorker? There are a few ways you might have found that out, like maybe if you’ve ever seen him courtside at a Knicks game, or if you’ve ever watched any of his earlier movies that just so happen to be set in the Big Apple. But even if Highest 2 Lowest is somehow your first exposure to Lee, there’s still a more-than-zero-percent chance that you’ll be able to figure out where he stands on the subject of his hometown, particularly during a subway-set piece in which a bunch of excited baseball fans start a chant of “Boston sucks!” while on their way to a Yankees game. It’s a little bit subtle, but not too hard to miss.
Arriving at the Crossroads: Ultimately, Highest 2 Lowest is preoccupied with posing the question: “Are you going to be the person you’re supposed to be?” Sure, there are some fun chase scenes and a raucous salsa concert on Puerto Rican Day along the way that might feel like they’re fun just for the sake of being fun. But the internal stakes are unmistakable. Is legacy more important than friendship and family? Can you be an artist and a thief? What do we owe the world if we have talents to share? Some characters are in more stable positions than others to answer these questions, but the stakes are captivating no matter what the specificities of the crisis.

Highest 2 Lowest is Recommended If You Like: The Bronx Bombers, Curating Your Record Collection, State Farm’s “Mayhem” Commercials

Grade: 4 out of 5 Ransoms