Fish and Cherries Productions

Black Mass was quite the heavy movie for a historical story. What few bits of comedy there are, they’re all ebony black, befitting the kind of brutal criminal this story focuses on. Speaking of which, Johnny Depp is excellent in his role, practically Oscar-worthy in my eyes. He is absolutely terrifying and magnetic, and you’re never sure what he’s going to do next or if the person he’s talking to is coming to their last moments. He’s like a villain out of an Eisner Award-winning comic or graphic novel, with all of the dynamic power and gravitas that suggests. On the down side, this movie felt very long. It was really hard to follow the story structure and I could never be sure when one act ended or begun, apart from the year transitions. If I hadn’t looked at the time when I left, I could have sworn three hours had passed. A lot of the side characters also blended together for me. They were all well-acted, but they were so out of focus that it was hard to tell them apart at times. That said, these were the same negative thoughts I had about Goodfellas and look at where that movie stands today. On the whole, I say you should definitely see it, but don’t be surprised if after a while, you get the urge to check your watch.