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Black Mass (film)

January 22, 2023

Black Mass is a 2015 American biographical crime drama film about American mobster Whitey Bulger. Directed by Scott Cooper and written by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth, it is based on Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill's 2001 book Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob. The film features an ensemble cast led by Johnny Depp as Bulger, alongside Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon, Jesse Plemons, Peter Sarsgaard, Dakota Johnson, and Corey Stoll.

Black Mass
Theatrical release poster
Directed byScott Cooper
Screenplay by
Based onBlack Mass: The Irish Mob, the FBI and A Devil's Deal
by Dick Lehr
and Gerard O'Neill
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMasanobu Takayanagi
Edited byDavid Rosenbloom[3]
Music byTom Holkenborg[4]
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release dates
  • September 4, 2015 (2015-09-04) (Venice)[1]
  • September 18, 2015 (2015-09-18) (United States)[2]
Running time
123 minutes[5]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$53 million[6]
Box office$99.8 million[7]

Principal photography of the film began on May 19, 2014, in Boston and wrapped on August 1, 2014. The film had its world premiere at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival and was released by Warner Bros. worldwide on September 18, 2015. It received generally positive reviews and grossed $99 million on a $53 million budget.

Plot

In 1975, James "Whitey" Bulger, leader of the Winter Hill Gang, controls most organized crime within South Boston, along with his right-hand man Stephen Flemmi, newcomer Kevin Weeks, and callous hitman Johnny Martorano. Bulger lives with his longtime partner Lindsey Cyr and their young son Douglas.

Bulger's supremacy is challenged by the North End-based Angiulo Brothers, a rival gang that is part of the New England Mafia family. FBI agent John Connolly returns to the area, having grown up in South Boston as a friend of Whitey and his brother, Massachusetts Senate President William "Billy" Bulger.

After the Angiulo Brothers send a motorcycle-riding assassin who murders a Winter Hill soldier, Whitey becomes an informant for Connolly. Connolly believes he can infiltrate the Angiulo Brothers' organization with Whitey's help. Although Whitey hates the idea of being a rat, he understands the protection doing so would afford him, his gang, and his family. Douglas suffers from Reye syndrome, leading the devastated Lindsey to remove him from life support over Whitey's furious objections.

Although Connolly is supported by his co-worker John Morris, their boss, Charles McGuire, is suspicious. Whitey increasingly exploits his status as an informant, using Connolly's "protection" as a cover for his crimes. When Connolly demands information on the Angiulos' racketeering locations, Whitey gets pictures of the rival gang's hideouts, allowing the FBI to plant wiretaps. The FBI arrests the Angiulos, thus eliminating the remaining opposition to Whitey's power. Blinded by his past, Connolly grows closer to Whitey and the gang and even invites them to his house for a cookout. His wife, Marianne, sees negative changes in her husband as his agent-informant relationship with Whitey grows, including accepting expensive gifts and money from the gang.

An associate, Brian Halloran, fears for his own life and goes to the FBI to report Whitey's involvement, much to Connolly's displeasure. Connolly then tells Whitey of Halloran's accusation, thereby resulting in the murders of Halloran and an unnamed accomplice. Following his mother's death, Whitey's behavior becomes increasingly violent and unpredictable, deteriorating his informant relationship.

When "bulldog" prosecutor Fred Wyshak is appointed the new assistant U. S. Attorney in Boston, Connolly attempts to make friends and perhaps divert his attention from Whitey. Still, Wyshak bluntly refuses and demands the FBI arrest him. John McIntyre, an informant within the Winter Hill Gang, informs on an attempt by Whitey to smuggle weapons for the IRA. The shipment is seized, and Whitey kills McIntyre after Connolly tips him off.

Wyshak and McGuire investigate Connolly's management of Whitey's informant role and realize that most of the "tips" provided by Whitey were already obtained from other informants (that Bulger could've possibly killed since he was ironically known for killing "Rats"). Morris, disillusioned and fearing prosecution for his association with Connolly's activities, divulges Connolly's and Whitey's relationship to The Boston Globe, and a front-page story exposes the FBI's links to organized crime. As Connolly, Flemmi, Weeks, and Martorano are arrested, Whitey gives Billy a final goodbye from a gas station pay phone before leaving Boston.

A textual epilogue reveals Weeks received a five-year sentence, Martorano a twelve-year sentence, and Flemmi a life sentence, while Morris received immunity for his cooperation; Billy became Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts but resigned following the discovery that he was in touch with Whitey; Connolly was convicted of second-degree murder and received a forty-year sentence, and Whitey, after an anonymous tip led to his arrest on June 22, 2011, in Santa Monica, California, received two consecutive life sentences with an added five years.

Cast

Production

Development

An idea for a film adaptation of Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob garnered interest intermittently since 2000. Even before its published release, the book's film rights had already been sold to Miramax, when Harvey Weinstein was still part of the company. According to co-author Dick Lehr, Weinstein had never exercised the film option for unknown reasons, and the rights expired.[16][17] At one point afterwards, in 2002, filmmaker Robert Greenwald had planned to adapt Black Mass into a 4-hour miniseries for USA Network, but the project was never developed.[18] Eventually in 2006, film producer Brian Oliver acquired the film rights for Black Mass, and was set to produce the adaptation with CP Production partners Michael Cerenzie and Christine Peters.[17][19]

After Oliver's acquisition, Jim Sheridan was attached to direct the film. In 2009, Sheridan had finished writing a draft of the adapted screenplay with Nye Heron, and principal photography was reportedly scheduled to begin in April 2010.[20][21] However, in December 2010, while discussing the troubled production of his 2011 film Dream House, Sheridan hinted at his detachment from the Black Mass project.[22] Oliver's then-newly founded Cross Creek Pictures film production company took over financing for Black Mass, and Sheridan's exit was confirmed when Russell Gewirtz was hired in 2011 to write another draft for the adaptation, and Barry Levinson was attached to direct instead.[17][23][24] The finished version of Black Mass was scripted by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth, and has been billed as the "true story of Whitey Bulger, FBI agent John Connolly and the FBI's witness protection program that was created by J. Edgar Hoover."[25]

Later in January 2014, Scott Cooper was attached to re-write and direct the film.[26] On February 27, 2014, Warner Bros. picked up the film's worldwide distribution rights, eyeing an October 2015 release, and the studio co-financed the film with Cross Creek.[27]

Casting

Johnny Depp's involvement with Black Mass dates back to February 2013, when he was attached to star in the film, while Barry Levinson was still slated to direct and principal photography was scheduled to begin in May 2013. Depp briefly exited the project shortly after its sale at the 66th annual Cannes Film Festival, because of a salary dispute with Cross Creek Pictures. He later rejoined at around the same time Scott Cooper was attached to replace Levinson as director, and his signing for the film was made official in February 2014.[26][28][29][30][31] Jesse Plemons and Juno Temple joined the cast to play as Kevin Weeks (a cohort of Bulger) and Deborah Hussey, one of Bulger's victims, respectively, around April 2014. Plemons reportedly prepared for his role by hiring a dialect coach and studying video of the actual Kevin Weeks.[32][33]

Benedict Cumberbatch replaced Guy Pearce as William "Billy" Bulger on May 22, 2014.[8] On June 10, it was announced that Jeremy Strong would co-star in the film.[14] On June 14, James Russo joined the cast of the film to play Scott Garriola, one of the FBI agents who took down Bulger.[15] On June 26, Kevin Bacon was added to the cast to play Charles McGuire, the FBI Special Agent in charge of the Boston field office and John Connolly's boss.[10] On July 1, David Harbour was added to the cast of the film to star as John Morris, a corrupt FBI agent along with Connolly.[12]

The roles of Connolly – who was Whitey Bulger's FBI handler – and his first wife Marianne, were filled by Joel Edgerton and Julianne Nicholson, respectively. Cooper chose Nicholson for the part after her performance as Sally in Sam Shepard's off-Broadway play Heartless (before Claire van der Boom succeeded her for the play's two-week extension). Edgerton developed his portrayal of Connolly by studying past footage of the FBI agent before his imprisonment, some of which include his appearances on talk shows and in courtrooms. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Edgerton stated that he declined trying to meet with the actual Connolly, reasoning that Connolly "has one version of events and the film has a different version".[34][35][36][37] Edgerton originally dropped out of the project when Depp agreed to return, and Tom Hardy was in early talks for the role.[31] However, Edgerton returned in the role.

In preparing for his role, Depp similarly studied surveillance and police audio footage involving Bulger. The actor was adamant in depicting the Boston gang leader's criminal and personal life as would be ultimately portrayed in the film. To achieve that, Depp attempted to meet with Bulger himself, but was declined a meeting and instead consulted Jay Carney, Bulger's attorney. Carney appeared on set a few times, to provide feedback on Depp's performance.[36][38][39][40]

Filming

Principal photography commenced on May 19, 2014, in Boston;[27][41] actors were seen filming scenes in Dorchester.[42] On May 23, some shots were also filmed at Polish American Club (altered to recreate West Broadway's Triple O's Lounge, Whitey's infamous South Boston hangout), on Cambridge Street in Cambridge.[43][44] On May 27, filming was taking place in East Boston, where Johnny Depp and Jesse Plemons were seen together on the set.[45] Next day on May 28, Joel Edgerton was seen during filming of a scene on Silver Street in South Boston.[46][47] On June 4, Depp was spotted in Lynn during a recreation of the 1982 murders of Brian Halloran and Michael Donahue by Bulger.[48] On June 6–7, Depp was seen filming scenes at Copley Square in Boston.[49]

On June 9, Depp's 51st birthday, he was filming scenes on location in Quincy,[50][51] where actress Dakota Johnson was in Back Bay, playing Whitey Bulger's longtime former girlfriend, Lindsey Cyr.[52] On June 11, shooting was underway in Lynn, where the crew was filming scenes in which Bulger and Stephen Flemmi pick up a prostitute named Deborah Hussey (played by Juno Temple) from the police station. Temple was seen on the set.[53] On June 16, Depp and Plemons were spotted on the set of the film in South Boston.[54]

On June 20, news posted some photos from the set of the film, which features classic cars from the film set in South Boston.[55] On June 23, Cumberbatch and Depp were spotted during a re-creation of Saint Patrick's Day parade scenes in Lynn.[56][57] On June 24, scenes were shot at the Harvard Club in Boston.[58] On June 26, Cumberbatch was spotted with crew while filming around Ashmont Grill in Dorchester.[59] On June 29, the pavement outside South Boston High School had graffiti readings of "Stop Forced Busing" and "Press Print the Truth."[60]

On July 2, Depp and Cumberbatch were together filming some scenes in Boston.[citation needed] On July 7–8, filming was set to take place on Gilson Road in Quincy.[61] A four-story building on 6 Gilson Road was transformed to resemble the Princess Eugenia apartments in Santa Monica, California, where FBI agents arrested Bulger on June 22, 2011. Arrest scenes were filmed there on July 7 and 8, and Sienna Miller was spotted dressed as Catherine Greig.[62][63] From July 8–10, scenes were filmed on Revere Beach, so that a portion of Revere Beach remained closed. Between July 11–12, Revere Beach Boulevard remained closed for shooting.[64] Revere Beach was transformed into Miami Beach, Florida, as live palm trees had been planted in the sand and a pizza restaurant was transformed into a Cuban cafe on Revere Beach Boulevard across the street from Beach.[65] Depp as Whitey Bulger and Miller as Catherine Greig were spotted on the Black Mass set on the Revere Beach on July 10, 2014.[66]

On July 15, Cumberbatch wrapped filming for his part in Boston.[67] On July 21, Depp filmed some scenes at the former Anthony's Hawthorne restaurant, located at Oxford Street and Central Avenue in Lynn,[68] which wrapped up filming for his role.[69]

In July, director Cooper told The Boston Globe that filming had to take place for two more weeks in Boston, focusing on the FBI's role in the Bulger story.[69] On July 25, Kevin Bacon was in Boston, filming some remaining scenes for the film.[70] According to The Boston Globe, filming for Black Mass wrapped up on August 1, 2014, in Boston.[71][72]

Post-production

Sienna Miller was cast and filmed scenes as Catherine Greig, Bulger's companion while a fugitive, but her scenes ended up getting cut from the film due to "narrative choices".[73][74] Erica McDermott was cast as Mary Bulger, wife of Billy Bulger, but the majority of her scenes were cut out.[75]

Release

On June 30, 2014, Warner Bros. set the film for a September 18, 2015 worldwide release.[76] It was selected to be shown in the "Fuori Concorso" section of the Venice Film Festival. It was also shown at the Telluride Film Festival the next day, and in the Special Presentation section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.[77]

Marketing

On April 23, 2015, the first trailer for the film was released, followed by a second trailer on May 22.[78][79] A third trailer was released on July 30.[80]

Home media

Black Mass was released on DVD and Blu-ray on February 16, 2016.

Reception

Box office

Black Mass grossed $62.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $37.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $99.8 million, against a production budget of $53 million.[7]

In its opening weekend, the film was projected to earn around $26 million from 3,188 theaters. It grossed $8.8 million on its first day, including $1.4 million from its early Thursday showings. It ended up debuting to $22.6 million, finishing second at the box office behind fellow newcomer Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials ($30.3 million).[81] It dropped 51% in its second weekend, making $11 million and finishing 5th.[82]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 73% based on 290 reviews and an average rating of 6.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Black Mass spins a gripping yarn out of its fact-based story – and leaves audiences with one of Johnny Depp's most compelling performances in years."[83] On Metacritic, the film has a rating of 68 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[84] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.[81]

Depp's portrayal of Bulger received critical acclaim with many calling it a return to form. Critics from The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and TheWrap called it one of his best performances to date.[85][86][87] The Hollywood Reporter's Todd McCarthy, in addition to praising the film, called Depp's performance "fully convincing and frightening", saying it is "very welcome at this point in his career and one of his best."[85]

Similarly, Indie Wire's Eric Kohn praised the cast and highlighted Depp's performance and Cooper's directorial efforts to depict "the haunting legacy of Bulger's criminal deeds, and the lingering sense that no justice can erase their impact."[88] Admiring Black Mass as an "elegantly understated crime drama", Variety's Scott Foundas positively compared Depp's performance in the film to his earlier roles with Tim Burton.[86]

TheWrap's Alonso Duralde praised Depp's performance, but was less positive towards the film's pacing and short onscreen appearances of some supporting characters.[87] BBC Culture's Nicolas Barber found some of the subplots to be unnecessary (specifically mentioning Benedict Cumberbatch as Billy Bulger), and argued that "the film is never bad, but, given the gob-smacking true story, it's disappointing that it's not great".[89]

In a negative review, CraveOnline's Fred Topel labeled Black Mass as a "black mess". He criticized the screenwriting and argued that the film borrows too heavily from Goodfellas, writing: "...it's clear that the filmmakers wanted to turn this into Goodfellas and tried to shoehorn this story into a similar kind of seductive, funny, shocking gangster tale. ...Several scenes seem to want to be like the 'how am I funny?' scene in Goodfellas, but it's blatant".[90]

Response by the subjects

Whitey Bulger himself disapproved of the film and refused to see it; his associate Kevin Weeks, while admitting the killings took place, otherwise called the movie "pure fiction", comprehensively disputing most of the film's depiction of events.[91][92] Most crucially he also disavowed the characterisations of the key figures:

The only resemblance to Whitey's character was the hairline. [...] The mannerisms — the way that Whitey talked to us — he never swore at us. In all the years I was with that man, he never swore at me once. We never yelled at each other. [...] The language is all wrong [...] and Whitey never would've berated Stevie, either. Stevie was a psychopath. Stevie would've killed him. [...] Stevie wasn't all sympathetic, mourning, and sorrowful like he is in the movie. Stevie enjoyed murder.[91]

Weeks also disagrees completely with his portrayal in the film, for instance, the suggestion the loss of his son had any impact on his behavior, or that Bulger ever once discussed business at home or with his brother.[91]

Accolades

Award Category Recipient Result
Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards[93] Best Actor Johnny Depp Nominated
Santa Barbara International Film Festival Maltin Modern Master Award Johnny Depp Won
Satellite Awards[94] Best Film Black Mass Nominated
Best Actor – Motion Picture Johnny Depp Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Jez Butterworth, Mark Mallouk Nominated
Saturn Awards[95][96] Best Thriller Film Black Mass Nominated
Best Make-Up Joel Harlow, Kenny Niederbaumer Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Johnny Depp Nominated
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association[97] Best Actor Johnny Depp Nominated
Palm Springs International Film Festival Desert Palm Achievement Award (actor) Johnny Depp Won
Critics' Choice Movie Award Best Actor Johnny Depp Nominated
Best Makeup Nominated

Lindsay Kimble of People believed Depp deserved an Academy Award nomination for his performance as Bulger and was surprised when his name was excluded from the list of nominees.[98]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack, written and composed by Tom Holkenborg, was released on September 11, 2015, at WaterTower Music.

Track listing

  1. "Black Mass Opening Title"
  2. "Boston Crime Lord"
  3. "John Connolly"
  4. "Bulger Burial Ground"
  5. "My Boy"
  6. "Don't Wake Him Up"
  7. "You Got Two Minutes"
  8. "Aspirin"
  9. "No Drugs, No Murder"
  10. "I Will Pull the Plug Myself"
  11. "When You Wake Up In the Morning"
  12. "It's Just the Beginning"
  13. "Martorano"
  14. "Did You Ever See Whitey Bulger Murder Anyone?"
  15. "Thanks to Whitey"
  16. "Jimmy and Marianne"
  17. "You'll Be Sorry"
  18. "Boston Globe"
  19. "Valhalla"
  20. "Strictly Criminal"
  21. "Take Care Kid"

2015 Watertower Music (61:26)

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External links

  • Official website
  • Black Mass at Box Office Mojo
  • Black Mass at IMDb
  • Black Mass at Metacritic  
  • Black Mass at Rotten Tomatoes
  • "Interview with Detective Mike Huff about his investigation into Whitey Bulger's involvement in the murder of Tulsan Roger Wheeler". Voices of Oklahoma oral history project.
  • "Interview with Detective Mike Huff about his investigation into Whitey Bulger's involvement in the murder of Tulsan Roger Wheeler". Voices of Oklahoma oral history project (Original audio and transcript ed.).
  • (PDF). screenplaysandscripts.com. Wayback Machine. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 21, 2018. Retrieved November 24, 2019.

January 22, 2023
black, mass, film, black, mass, 2015, american, biographical, crime, drama, film, about, american, mobster, whitey, bulger, directed, scott, cooper, written, mark, mallouk, butterworth, based, dick, lehr, gerard, neill, 2001, book, black, mass, true, story, un. Black Mass is a 2015 American biographical crime drama film about American mobster Whitey Bulger Directed by Scott Cooper and written by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth it is based on Dick Lehr and Gerard O Neill s 2001 book Black Mass The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob The film features an ensemble cast led by Johnny Depp as Bulger alongside Joel Edgerton Benedict Cumberbatch Kevin Bacon Jesse Plemons Peter Sarsgaard Dakota Johnson and Corey Stoll Black MassTheatrical release posterDirected byScott CooperScreenplay byMark Mallouk Jez ButterworthBased onBlack Mass The Irish Mob the FBI and A Devil s Dealby Dick Lehrand Gerard O NeillProduced byJohn Lesher Brian Oliver Scott Cooper Patrick McCormick Tyler ThompsonStarringJohnny Depp Joel Edgerton Benedict Cumberbatch Rory Cochrane Jesse Plemons Kevin BaconCinematographyMasanobu TakayanagiEdited byDavid Rosenbloom 3 Music byTom Holkenborg 4 ProductioncompaniesCross Creek Pictures RatPac Dune Entertainment Infinitum Nihil Le Grisbi Productions Free State Pictures Head Gear Films Vendian EntertainmentDistributed byWarner Bros PicturesRelease datesSeptember 4 2015 2015 09 04 Venice 1 September 18 2015 2015 09 18 United States 2 Running time123 minutes 5 CountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishBudget 53 million 6 Box office 99 8 million 7 Principal photography of the film began on May 19 2014 in Boston and wrapped on August 1 2014 The film had its world premiere at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival and was released by Warner Bros worldwide on September 18 2015 It received generally positive reviews and grossed 99 million on a 53 million budget Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 3 1 Development 3 2 Casting 3 3 Filming 3 4 Post production 4 Release 4 1 Marketing 4 2 Home media 5 Reception 5 1 Box office 5 2 Critical response 5 3 Response by the subjects 5 4 Accolades 6 Soundtrack 6 1 Track listing 7 References 8 External linksPlot EditIn 1975 James Whitey Bulger leader of the Winter Hill Gang controls most organized crime within South Boston along with his right hand man Stephen Flemmi newcomer Kevin Weeks and callous hitman Johnny Martorano Bulger lives with his longtime partner Lindsey Cyr and their young son Douglas Bulger s supremacy is challenged by the North End based Angiulo Brothers a rival gang that is part of the New England Mafia family FBI agent John Connolly returns to the area having grown up in South Boston as a friend of Whitey and his brother Massachusetts Senate President William Billy Bulger After the Angiulo Brothers send a motorcycle riding assassin who murders a Winter Hill soldier Whitey becomes an informant for Connolly Connolly believes he can infiltrate the Angiulo Brothers organization with Whitey s help Although Whitey hates the idea of being a rat he understands the protection doing so would afford him his gang and his family Douglas suffers from Reye syndrome leading the devastated Lindsey to remove him from life support over Whitey s furious objections Although Connolly is supported by his co worker John Morris their boss Charles McGuire is suspicious Whitey increasingly exploits his status as an informant using Connolly s protection as a cover for his crimes When Connolly demands information on the Angiulos racketeering locations Whitey gets pictures of the rival gang s hideouts allowing the FBI to plant wiretaps The FBI arrests the Angiulos thus eliminating the remaining opposition to Whitey s power Blinded by his past Connolly grows closer to Whitey and the gang and even invites them to his house for a cookout His wife Marianne sees negative changes in her husband as his agent informant relationship with Whitey grows including accepting expensive gifts and money from the gang An associate Brian Halloran fears for his own life and goes to the FBI to report Whitey s involvement much to Connolly s displeasure Connolly then tells Whitey of Halloran s accusation thereby resulting in the murders of Halloran and an unnamed accomplice Following his mother s death Whitey s behavior becomes increasingly violent and unpredictable deteriorating his informant relationship When bulldog prosecutor Fred Wyshak is appointed the new assistant U S Attorney in Boston Connolly attempts to make friends and perhaps divert his attention from Whitey Still Wyshak bluntly refuses and demands the FBI arrest him John McIntyre an informant within the Winter Hill Gang informs on an attempt by Whitey to smuggle weapons for the IRA The shipment is seized and Whitey kills McIntyre after Connolly tips him off Wyshak and McGuire investigate Connolly s management of Whitey s informant role and realize that most of the tips provided by Whitey were already obtained from other informants that Bulger could ve possibly killed since he was ironically known for killing Rats Morris disillusioned and fearing prosecution for his association with Connolly s activities divulges Connolly s and Whitey s relationship to The Boston Globe and a front page story exposes the FBI s links to organized crime As Connolly Flemmi Weeks and Martorano are arrested Whitey gives Billy a final goodbye from a gas station pay phone before leaving Boston A textual epilogue reveals Weeks received a five year sentence Martorano a twelve year sentence and Flemmi a life sentence while Morris received immunity for his cooperation Billy became Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts but resigned following the discovery that he was in touch with Whitey Connolly was convicted of second degree murder and received a forty year sentence and Whitey after an anonymous tip led to his arrest on June 22 2011 in Santa Monica California received two consecutive life sentences with an added five years Cast EditJohnny Depp as James Whitey Bulger Joel Edgerton as John Connolly Benedict Cumberbatch as William Billy Bulger 8 9 Rory Cochrane as Stephen The Rifleman Flemmi Kevin Bacon as Charles McGuire 10 Jesse Plemons as Kevin Weeks Peter Sarsgaard as Brian Halloran 11 Dakota Johnson as Lindsey Cyr Corey Stoll as Fred Wyshak David Harbour as John Morris 12 Julianne Nicholson as Marianne Connolly nee Lockary Adam Scott as Robert Fitzpatrick 13 Brad Carter as John McIntyre W Earl Brown as Johnny Martorano Mark Mahoney as Mickey Maloney Juno Temple as Deborah Hussey Erica McDermott as Mary Bulger Bill Camp as John Callahan Scott Anderson as Tommy King David DeBeck as Roger Wheeler Jamie Donnelly as Ms Cody Patrick M Walsh as Michael Donahue Jeremy Strong as Josh Bond 14 uncredited James Russo as Scott Garriola 15 uncredited Production EditDevelopment Edit An idea for a film adaptation of Black Mass The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob garnered interest intermittently since 2000 Even before its published release the book s film rights had already been sold to Miramax when Harvey Weinstein was still part of the company According to co author Dick Lehr Weinstein had never exercised the film option for unknown reasons and the rights expired 16 17 At one point afterwards in 2002 filmmaker Robert Greenwald had planned to adapt Black Mass into a 4 hour miniseries for USA Network but the project was never developed 18 Eventually in 2006 film producer Brian Oliver acquired the film rights for Black Mass and was set to produce the adaptation with CP Production partners Michael Cerenzie and Christine Peters 17 19 After Oliver s acquisition Jim Sheridan was attached to direct the film In 2009 Sheridan had finished writing a draft of the adapted screenplay with Nye Heron and principal photography was reportedly scheduled to begin in April 2010 20 21 However in December 2010 while discussing the troubled production of his 2011 film Dream House Sheridan hinted at his detachment from the Black Mass project 22 Oliver s then newly founded Cross Creek Pictures film production company took over financing for Black Mass and Sheridan s exit was confirmed when Russell Gewirtz was hired in 2011 to write another draft for the adaptation and Barry Levinson was attached to direct instead 17 23 24 The finished version of Black Mass was scripted by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth and has been billed as the true story of Whitey Bulger FBI agent John Connolly and the FBI s witness protection program that was created by J Edgar Hoover 25 Later in January 2014 Scott Cooper was attached to re write and direct the film 26 On February 27 2014 Warner Bros picked up the film s worldwide distribution rights eyeing an October 2015 release and the studio co financed the film with Cross Creek 27 Casting Edit Johnny Depp s involvement with Black Mass dates back to February 2013 when he was attached to star in the film while Barry Levinson was still slated to direct and principal photography was scheduled to begin in May 2013 Depp briefly exited the project shortly after its sale at the 66th annual Cannes Film Festival because of a salary dispute with Cross Creek Pictures He later rejoined at around the same time Scott Cooper was attached to replace Levinson as director and his signing for the film was made official in February 2014 26 28 29 30 31 Jesse Plemons and Juno Temple joined the cast to play as Kevin Weeks a cohort of Bulger and Deborah Hussey one of Bulger s victims respectively around April 2014 Plemons reportedly prepared for his role by hiring a dialect coach and studying video of the actual Kevin Weeks 32 33 Benedict Cumberbatch replaced Guy Pearce as William Billy Bulger on May 22 2014 8 On June 10 it was announced that Jeremy Strong would co star in the film 14 On June 14 James Russo joined the cast of the film to play Scott Garriola one of the FBI agents who took down Bulger 15 On June 26 Kevin Bacon was added to the cast to play Charles McGuire the FBI Special Agent in charge of the Boston field office and John Connolly s boss 10 On July 1 David Harbour was added to the cast of the film to star as John Morris a corrupt FBI agent along with Connolly 12 The roles of Connolly who was Whitey Bulger s FBI handler and his first wife Marianne were filled by Joel Edgerton and Julianne Nicholson respectively Cooper chose Nicholson for the part after her performance as Sally in Sam Shepard s off Broadway play Heartless before Claire van der Boom succeeded her for the play s two week extension Edgerton developed his portrayal of Connolly by studying past footage of the FBI agent before his imprisonment some of which include his appearances on talk shows and in courtrooms In an interview with The Wall Street Journal Edgerton stated that he declined trying to meet with the actual Connolly reasoning that Connolly has one version of events and the film has a different version 34 35 36 37 Edgerton originally dropped out of the project when Depp agreed to return and Tom Hardy was in early talks for the role 31 However Edgerton returned in the role In preparing for his role Depp similarly studied surveillance and police audio footage involving Bulger The actor was adamant in depicting the Boston gang leader s criminal and personal life as would be ultimately portrayed in the film To achieve that Depp attempted to meet with Bulger himself but was declined a meeting and instead consulted Jay Carney Bulger s attorney Carney appeared on set a few times to provide feedback on Depp s performance 36 38 39 40 Filming Edit Principal photography commenced on May 19 2014 in Boston 27 41 actors were seen filming scenes in Dorchester 42 On May 23 some shots were also filmed at Polish American Club altered to recreate West Broadway s Triple O s Lounge Whitey s infamous South Boston hangout on Cambridge Street in Cambridge 43 44 On May 27 filming was taking place in East Boston where Johnny Depp and Jesse Plemons were seen together on the set 45 Next day on May 28 Joel Edgerton was seen during filming of a scene on Silver Street in South Boston 46 47 On June 4 Depp was spotted in Lynn during a recreation of the 1982 murders of Brian Halloran and Michael Donahue by Bulger 48 On June 6 7 Depp was seen filming scenes at Copley Square in Boston 49 On June 9 Depp s 51st birthday he was filming scenes on location in Quincy 50 51 where actress Dakota Johnson was in Back Bay playing Whitey Bulger s longtime former girlfriend Lindsey Cyr 52 On June 11 shooting was underway in Lynn where the crew was filming scenes in which Bulger and Stephen Flemmi pick up a prostitute named Deborah Hussey played by Juno Temple from the police station Temple was seen on the set 53 On June 16 Depp and Plemons were spotted on the set of the film in South Boston 54 On June 20 news posted some photos from the set of the film which features classic cars from the film set in South Boston 55 On June 23 Cumberbatch and Depp were spotted during a re creation of Saint Patrick s Day parade scenes in Lynn 56 57 On June 24 scenes were shot at the Harvard Club in Boston 58 On June 26 Cumberbatch was spotted with crew while filming around Ashmont Grill in Dorchester 59 On June 29 the pavement outside South Boston High School had graffiti readings of Stop Forced Busing and Press Print the Truth 60 On July 2 Depp and Cumberbatch were together filming some scenes in Boston citation needed On July 7 8 filming was set to take place on Gilson Road in Quincy 61 A four story building on 6 Gilson Road was transformed to resemble the Princess Eugenia apartments in Santa Monica California where FBI agents arrested Bulger on June 22 2011 Arrest scenes were filmed there on July 7 and 8 and Sienna Miller was spotted dressed as Catherine Greig 62 63 From July 8 10 scenes were filmed on Revere Beach so that a portion of Revere Beach remained closed Between July 11 12 Revere Beach Boulevard remained closed for shooting 64 Revere Beach was transformed into Miami Beach Florida as live palm trees had been planted in the sand and a pizza restaurant was transformed into a Cuban cafe on Revere Beach Boulevard across the street from Beach 65 Depp as Whitey Bulger and Miller as Catherine Greig were spotted on the Black Mass set on the Revere Beach on July 10 2014 66 On July 15 Cumberbatch wrapped filming for his part in Boston 67 On July 21 Depp filmed some scenes at the former Anthony s Hawthorne restaurant located at Oxford Street and Central Avenue in Lynn 68 which wrapped up filming for his role 69 In July director Cooper told The Boston Globe that filming had to take place for two more weeks in Boston focusing on the FBI s role in the Bulger story 69 On July 25 Kevin Bacon was in Boston filming some remaining scenes for the film 70 According to The Boston Globe filming for Black Mass wrapped up on August 1 2014 in Boston 71 72 Post production Edit Sienna Miller was cast and filmed scenes as Catherine Greig Bulger s companion while a fugitive but her scenes ended up getting cut from the film due to narrative choices 73 74 Erica McDermott was cast as Mary Bulger wife of Billy Bulger but the majority of her scenes were cut out 75 Release EditOn June 30 2014 Warner Bros set the film for a September 18 2015 worldwide release 76 It was selected to be shown in the Fuori Concorso section of the Venice Film Festival It was also shown at the Telluride Film Festival the next day and in the Special Presentation section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival 77 Marketing Edit On April 23 2015 the first trailer for the film was released followed by a second trailer on May 22 78 79 A third trailer was released on July 30 80 Home media Edit Black Mass was released on DVD and Blu ray on February 16 2016 Reception EditBox office Edit Black Mass grossed 62 6 million in the United States and Canada and 37 2 million in other territories for a worldwide total of 99 8 million against a production budget of 53 million 7 In its opening weekend the film was projected to earn around 26 million from 3 188 theaters It grossed 8 8 million on its first day including 1 4 million from its early Thursday showings It ended up debuting to 22 6 million finishing second at the box office behind fellow newcomer Maze Runner The Scorch Trials 30 3 million 81 It dropped 51 in its second weekend making 11 million and finishing 5th 82 Critical response Edit On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 73 based on 290 reviews and an average rating of 6 7 10 The site s critical consensus reads Black Mass spins a gripping yarn out of its fact based story and leaves audiences with one of Johnny Depp s most compelling performances in years 83 On Metacritic the film has a rating of 68 out of 100 based on 43 critics indicating generally favorable reviews 84 Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of B on an A to F scale 81 Depp s portrayal of Bulger received critical acclaim with many calling it a return to form Critics from The Hollywood Reporter Variety and TheWrap called it one of his best performances to date 85 86 87 The Hollywood Reporter s Todd McCarthy in addition to praising the film called Depp s performance fully convincing and frightening saying it is very welcome at this point in his career and one of his best 85 Similarly Indie Wire s Eric Kohn praised the cast and highlighted Depp s performance and Cooper s directorial efforts to depict the haunting legacy of Bulger s criminal deeds and the lingering sense that no justice can erase their impact 88 Admiring Black Mass as an elegantly understated crime drama Variety s Scott Foundas positively compared Depp s performance in the film to his earlier roles with Tim Burton 86 TheWrap s Alonso Duralde praised Depp s performance but was less positive towards the film s pacing and short onscreen appearances of some supporting characters 87 BBC Culture s Nicolas Barber found some of the subplots to be unnecessary specifically mentioning Benedict Cumberbatch as Billy Bulger and argued that the film is never bad but given the gob smacking true story it s disappointing that it s not great 89 In a negative review CraveOnline s Fred Topel labeled Black Mass as a black mess He criticized the screenwriting and argued that the film borrows too heavily from Goodfellas writing it s clear that the filmmakers wanted to turn this into Goodfellas and tried to shoehorn this story into a similar kind of seductive funny shocking gangster tale Several scenes seem to want to be like the how am I funny scene in Goodfellas but it s blatant 90 Response by the subjects Edit Whitey Bulger himself disapproved of the film and refused to see it his associate Kevin Weeks while admitting the killings took place otherwise called the movie pure fiction comprehensively disputing most of the film s depiction of events 91 92 Most crucially he also disavowed the characterisations of the key figures The only resemblance to Whitey s character was the hairline The mannerisms the way that Whitey talked to us he never swore at us In all the years I was with that man he never swore at me once We never yelled at each other The language is all wrong and Whitey never would ve berated Stevie either Stevie was a psychopath Stevie would ve killed him Stevie wasn t all sympathetic mourning and sorrowful like he is in the movie Stevie enjoyed murder 91 Weeks also disagrees completely with his portrayal in the film for instance the suggestion the loss of his son had any impact on his behavior or that Bulger ever once discussed business at home or with his brother 91 Accolades Edit Award Category Recipient ResultIndiana Film Journalists Association Awards 93 Best Actor Johnny Depp NominatedSanta Barbara International Film Festival Maltin Modern Master Award Johnny Depp WonSatellite Awards 94 Best Film Black Mass NominatedBest Actor Motion Picture Johnny Depp NominatedBest Adapted Screenplay Jez Butterworth Mark Mallouk NominatedSaturn Awards 95 96 Best Thriller Film Black Mass NominatedBest Make Up Joel Harlow Kenny Niederbaumer NominatedScreen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Johnny Depp NominatedWashington D C Area Film Critics Association 97 Best Actor Johnny Depp NominatedPalm Springs International Film Festival Desert Palm Achievement Award actor Johnny Depp WonCritics Choice Movie Award Best Actor Johnny Depp NominatedBest Makeup NominatedLindsay Kimble of People believed Depp deserved an Academy Award nomination for his performance as Bulger and was surprised when his name was excluded from the list of nominees 98 Soundtrack EditThe soundtrack written and composed by Tom Holkenborg was released on September 11 2015 at WaterTower Music Track listing Edit Black Mass Opening Title Boston Crime Lord John Connolly Bulger Burial Ground My Boy Don t Wake Him Up You Got Two Minutes Aspirin No Drugs No Murder I Will Pull the Plug Myself When You Wake Up In the Morning It s Just the Beginning Martorano Did You Ever See Whitey Bulger Murder Anyone Thanks to Whitey Jimmy and Marianne You ll Be Sorry Boston Globe Valhalla Strictly Criminal Take Care Kid 2015 Watertower Music 61 26 References Edit Nick Vivarelli July 24 2015 Johnny Depp Starrer Black Mass To World Premiere At Venice Film Festival Variety Dave McNary July 2014 Johnny Depp Whitey Bulger Movie Release Date Sept 18 2015 Variety Filming Starts on Untitled Whitey Bulger Film Starring Johnny Depp Latino Review com Archived from the original on May 22 2014 Retrieved May 22 2014 Tom Holkenborg Junkie XL to Score Scott Cooper s Black Mass Film Music Reporter filmmusicreporter com BLACK MASS 15 British Board of Film Classification September 4 2015 Retrieved September 4 2015 Pamela McClintock September 16 2015 Box Office Preview Maze Runner Scorch Trials Hopes to Sprint Past Black Mass The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved September 17 2015 a b Black Mass 2015 Box Office Mojo Retrieved March 21 2016 a b Benedict Cumberbatch to Take On Bulger Role in Black Mass Boston com accessed December 8 2014 Benedict Cumberbatch Replaces Guy Pearce in Johnny Depp s Whitey Bulger Movie Variety com accessed December 8 2014 a b Yamato Jen June 26 2014 Kevin Bacon Joins Black Mass deadline com Retrieved June 26 2014 Peter Sarsgaard joins Black Mass as a favor IGN com accessed December 8 2014 a b David Harbour Adds To Black Mass deadline com July 1 2014 Retrieved July 2 2014 Adam Scott Joins Johnny Depp in Black Mass Exclusive HollywoodReporter com accessed December 8 2014 a b Yamato Jen June 10 2014 Jeremy Strong Joins Selma Black Mass Time Out Of Mind deadline com Retrieved June 12 2014 a b Sneider Jeff June 14 2014 James Russo Will Slap the Cuffs on Johnny Depp s Whitey Bulger in Black Mass thewrap com Retrieved June 16 2014 Keith J Kelly April 2 2000 Miramax To Adapt Mobster Tale New York Post Retrieved September 18 2015 a b c Kyle Clauss June 3 2015 Q amp A with Black Mass Co Author Dick Lehr Boston Magazine Retrieved September 18 2015 Melissa Grego amp John Dempsey July 7 2002 Classic Redos Pump USA Slate Variety Retrieved September 18 2015 Todd Konrad February 24 2009 Talking Finance with Michael Cerenzie Independent Film Quarterly Retrieved September 18 2015 Michael Fleming January 14 2009 Jim Sheridan Fingers Mob Boss Variety Retrieved September 18 2015 Mark Shanahan amp Paysha Rhone January 15 2009 Bulger film has big time backing Boston com Retrieved September 18 2015 Aileen Moon December 23 2010 Jim Sheridan talks about The Field Irish Film and Television Network Retrieved September 18 2015 Rottenberg Josh February 22 2013 Hollywood Insider What s Going on Behind the Scenes Boston s Bulger is Now Hollywood s It Gangster Entertainment Weekly New York Time Inc p 27 Jeremy Kay May 17 2011 Cross Creek hires Russell Gewirtz to write Black Mass Screendaily com Retrieved September 18 2015 Cappadona Bryanna June 20 2013 Who Should Play Whitey Bulger in Black Mass Boston Retrieved September 1 2013 a b Fleming Mike Jr January 14 2014 Out Of The Furnace Helmer Scott Cooper In Talks For Black Mass Johnny Depp Talks To Play Whitey Bulger Reignite deadline com Retrieved February 28 2014 a b Fleming Mike Jr February 27 2014 Warner Bros Finds Johnny Depp As Mobster Whitey Bulger An Offer It Can t Refuse deadline com Retrieved February 28 2014 Pamela McClintock February 2 2013 Johnny Depp to Star as Gangster Whitey Bulger The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved September 10 2015 Johnny Depp Exits Whitey Bulger Biopic Over Salary Dispute The Hollywood Reporter May 30 2013 Retrieved September 10 2015 Tatiana Siegel June 5 2013 Inside Johnny Depp s 20 Million Salary Standoff The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved September 10 2015 a b Mike Fleming Jr February 7 2014 Berlin Johnny Depp Seals Deal To Play Whitey Bulger In Black Mass Tom Hardy In Talks To Play FBI Pal John Connolly Deadline Retrieved September 10 2015 Angie Han April 2 2014 Jesse Plemons Joins Black Mass What Does This Mean for Star Wars Slashfilm Retrieved September 10 2015 Don Steinberg September 9 2015 Heea We Go Again How to Speak Boston in Black Mass and Utha Movies The Wall Street Journal Retrieved September 10 2015 Meredith Goldstein September 4 2015 Medford native Julianne Nicholson on role in Black Mass The Boston Globe Retrieved September 9 2015 Claire Van Der Boom Replaces Julianne Nicholson in Sam Shepard s Heartless Off Broadway Broadway com September 12 2012 Retrieved September 9 2015 a b Charles McGrath September 8 2015 Black Mass Resurrects Boston s Long Memories of Whitey Bulger The New York Times Retrieved September 9 2015 Caryn James September 9 2015 Joel Edgerton s Sudden Spotlight in Black Mass and The Gift The Wall Street Journal Retrieved September 9 2015 Jodi Guglielmi September 5 2015 SCOOP Black Mass Director Scott Cooper Talk Johnny Depp s Utterly Transfixing Physical Transformation VIDEO People Retrieved September 9 2015 Marlow Stern September 4 2015 Johnny Depp Talks Transforming into Whitey Bulger in Black Mass and His Dogs The Daily Beast Retrieved September 9 2015 Ariston Anderson September 4 2015 Venice Johnny Depp Talks Becoming James Whitey Bulger in Black Mass The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved September 9 2015 First confirmed location for Black Mass starring Johnny Depp in Boston onlocationvacations com May 12 2014 Retrieved May 21 2014 Shanahan Mark Goldstein Meredith May 20 2014 Black Mass films in Dorchester bostonglobe com Retrieved June 11 2014 Goldstein Meredith May 26 2014 Scott Cooper films more Black Mass in Cambridge bostonglobe com Retrieved May 30 2014 Christine May 16 2014 Black Mass Boston filming location for May 27 onlocationvacations com Retrieved May 30 2014 Shanahan Mark May 28 2014 Black Mass shoots in East Boston bostonglobe com Retrieved May 30 2014 Goldstein Meredith May 28 2014 John Connolly news in court on Black Mass set bostonglobe com Retrieved May 30 2014 Longhetti Chloe Lee May 29 2014 Joel Edgerton rocks the 70s look for new role in Black Mass dailytelegraph com au Retrieved May 30 2014 Johnny Depp as Whitey recreates Halloran murder bostonglobe com June 4 2014 Retrieved June 11 2014 Shanahan Mark Goldstein Meredith June 9 2014 Johnny Depp takes a break from his Whitey Bulger costume bostonglobe com Retrieved June 11 2014 Weitzer Nathaniel June 10 2014 Johnny Depp as Whitey Bulger films Black Mass at Quincy home wcvb com Retrieved June 11 2014 Christine June 9 2014 Catch Johnny Depp filming Black Mass in Quincy MA tomorrow onlocationvacations com Retrieved June 11 2014 Shanahan Mark Goldstein Meredith June 10 2014 Dakota Johnson seen on Black Mass set bostonglobe com Retrieved June 11 2014 Goldstein Meredith Shanahan Mark June 12 2014 Black Mass takes its sets to Lynn and back to the 70s and 80s bostonglobe com Retrieved June 16 2014 Christine June 17 2014 New photos of Johnny Depp Jesse Plemons and Amber Heard on the set of Black Mass onlocationvacations com Retrieved June 18 2014 Baker Billy June 20 2014 South Boston casts a critical eye on Black Mass bostonglobe com Retrieved June 25 2014 Stevens Chris June 24 2014 Stargazers flock to Lynn for Black Mass shoot itemlive com Archived from the original on June 24 2014 Retrieved June 24 2014 Daly Emma June 24 2014 See Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Depp filming Black Mass radiotimes com Retrieved June 24 2014 Christine June 23 2014 Black Mass filming at the Harvard Club in Boston tomorrow onlocationvacations com Retrieved June 24 2014 Shanahan Mark Goldstein Meredith June 27 2014 Kevin Bacon joins Johnny Depp in Black Mass bostonglobe com Retrieved July 1 2014 Randall Eric June 30 2014 Black Mass Keeps Throwing Southie into the Past bostonmagazine com Retrieved July 1 2014 Christine July 3 2014 Black Mass filming updates from Massachusetts onlocationvacations com Retrieved July 4 2014 Goldstein Meredith Shanahan Mark July 9 2014 Sienna Miller in Quincy on Black Mass set bostonglobe com Retrieved July 11 2014 Trufant Jessica July 7 2014 Black Mass to continue filming in Quincy on Monday and Tuesday wcvb com Retrieved July 11 2014 Partial closure of Revere Beach Tuesday for Black Mass itemlive com July 7 2014 Archived from the original on July 14 2014 Retrieved July 11 2014 Revere Beach transforms into Miami Beach for Black Mass bostonglobe com July 8 2014 Retrieved July 11 2014 Fee Gayle July 11 2014 Johnny Depp Sienna Miller amp Co make waves at Revere Beach bostonherald com Retrieved July 11 2014 Benedict Cumberbatch Wraps Shooting On Black Mass In Boston socialitelife com Archived from the original on August 8 2014 Retrieved August 1 2014 Christine July 17 2014 Black Mass starring Johnny Depp filming in Lynn MA on Monday onlocationvacations com Retrieved July 18 2014 a b Shanahan Mark Goldstein Meredith July 22 2014 Amber Heard visits Johnny Depp in Lynn bostonglobe com Retrieved August 1 2014 Kevin Bacon on the scene for Black Mass bostonglobe com July 25 2014 Retrieved July 27 2014 Lehr Dick July 31 2014 Whitey movie eerie experience for Black Mass coauthor bostonglobe com Archived from the original on May 1 2015 Retrieved August 1 2014 Whitey movie eerie experience for Black Mass coauthor bostonglobe com July 31 2014 Retrieved August 1 2014 1 eonline com accessed September 3 2015 Meredith Goldstein September 2 2015 Director confirms Sienna Miller cut from Black Mass The Boston Globe Retrieved September 9 2015 Post Guest September 17 2015 Actress Erica McDermott on Her Role as Mary Bulger in Black Mass DailyActor com Retrieved December 27 2015 McNary Dave June 30 2014 Johnny Depp s Whitey Bulger Movie Set for Sept 18 2015 Variety Retrieved July 1 2014 Toronto to open with Demolition world premieres for Trumbo The Program ScreenDaily com July 28 2015 Retrieved July 28 2015 Black Mass 2015 Trailer Trailer Addict September 18 2015 Black Mass 2015 Feature Trailer Trailer Addict September 18 2015 Black Mass 2015 Theatrical Trailer Trailer Addict September 18 2015 a b Scorch Trials Slows amp Black Mass Overperforms In The Face Of Fatigued Audiences Saturday AM Box Office Deadline Hollywood September 20 2017 Retrieved September 20 2017 Scott Mendelson September 27 2015 Weekend Box Office Johnny Depp s Black Mass Drops M Night Shyamalan s The Visit Tops 50M Forbes Retrieved June 25 2018 Black Mass 2015 Rotten Tomatoes Retrieved April 4 2020 Black Mass reviews Metacritic Retrieved November 25 2015 a b Todd McCarthy September 4 2015 Black Mass Venice Review The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved September 9 2015 a b Scott Foundas September 4 2015 Venice Film Review Johnny Depp in Black Mass Variety Retrieved September 9 2015 a b Alonso Duralde September 4 2015 Black Mass Venice Review Johnny Depp Returns to Actual Acting in Gripping True Crime Tale TheWrap Retrieved September 9 2015 Eric Kohn September 7 2015 Telluride Review Johnny Depp is Trying Something Very Different in Black Mass Indie Wire Retrieved September 9 2015 Nicolas Barber September 4 2015 Black Mass Is Johnny Depp A Hit BBC Culture Retrieved September 9 2015 Fred Topel September 8 2015 Telluride 2015 Review Black Mass Is a Black Mess CraveOnline Archived from the original on September 11 2015 Retrieved September 9 2015 a b c Stern Marlow September 20 2015 Whitey Bulger s Enforcer Slams Black Mass The Movie is Pure Fiction The Daily Beast Stern Marlow September 20 2015 Whitey Bulger s Enforcer Slams Black Mass The Movie Is Pure Fiction dailybeast com Wayback Machine The Daily Beast Archived from the original on June 6 2017 Retrieved November 24 2019 The Indiana Film Journalists Association Begins Nominations Process for 2015 Awards National Board of Review Announces 2015 Winners Rotten Tomatoes Flixster December 1 2015 Retrieved December 1 2015 Star Wars Mad Max Walking Dead Lead Saturn Awards Nominations Variety February 24 2016 Saturn Award nominations on YouTube Saturn Awards February 24 2016 D C Film Critics Shine a Spotlight on Award Winners Lindsay Kimble January 14 2016 Oscar Snubs Straight Outta Compton Johnny Depp Left Off 2016 Nominees List People Retrieved June 10 2016 External links Edit Film portalOfficial website Black Mass at Box Office Mojo Black Mass at IMDb Black Mass at Metacritic Black Mass at Rotten Tomatoes Interview with Detective Mike Huff about his investigation into Whitey Bulger s involvement in the murder of Tulsan Roger Wheeler Voices of Oklahoma oral history project Interview with Detective Mike Huff about his investigation into Whitey Bulger s involvement in the murder of Tulsan Roger Wheeler Voices of Oklahoma oral history project Original audio and transcript ed black mass Revision pdf PDF screenplaysandscripts com Wayback Machine Archived from the original PDF on December 21 2018 Retrieved November 24 2019 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Black Mass film amp oldid 1129720810, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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