In 2026, Mark Wahlberg took on the role of a notorious Mafia hitman who became an FBI informant and helped investigate the Ku Klux Klan in 1960s Mississippi. Now, movie fans can watch the stranger-than-fiction story at home.
By Any Means, starring Wahlberg and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, was released on digital platforms Oct. 20 after opening in theaters Sept. 4. The crime thriller is available to buy or rent through digital retailers including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home.
Directed by Elegance Bratton and written by Sascha Penn, By Any Means is inspired by the true story of Gregory Scarpa, a New York mobster and FBI informant who was reportedly enlisted to assist federal investigators in Mississippi during the Civil Rights era.
Wahlberg plays Scarpa, while Abdul-Mateen stars as FBI agent Wayne Strider, a fictional character created for the movie. The two form an unlikely partnership as they investigate the murder of civil rights leader Vernon Dahmer, played by Giancarlo Esposito.
The film also stars Nicole Beharie, Josh Lucas, LisaGay Hamilton, LaChanze, Ethan Embry and David Strathairn.
Scarpa’s involvement with the FBI makes the movie’s premise sound like Hollywood invention, but the mobster really did have a decades-long relationship with the bureau as an informant. Known as the “Grim Reaper,” Scarpa was a member of New York’s Colombo crime family.
The movie dramatizes Scarpa’s work with federal authorities investigating Klan violence, while taking liberties with the historical record. Abdul-Mateen’s Strider, for example, is a fictional composite rather than the real FBI agent who worked with Scarpa.
Critics were divided on how successfully By Any Means blends its historical subject matter with the conventions of an action thriller, but several singled out Abdul-Mateen’s performance for praise.
The Associated Press’ Mark Kennedy praised the actor for creating a “complex, charismatic character from thin air,” as Strider evolves from a by-the-book agent into someone increasingly willing to pursue justice outside the system.
The Guardian’s Owen Myers called the movie “grimly effective” and described it as “one of the most grisly and upsetting films in recent memory.” Despite reservations about some of the movie’s choices, Myers ultimately declared By Any Means “hard to forget.”
IndieWire’s Christian Zilko similarly noted the film’s ability to package its historical subject matter as an accessible thriller, writing that its approach could introduce the story to viewers who were unfamiliar with it.
The movie has also connected considerably better with audiences than critics. As of Oct. 20, By Any Means holds a 49% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, compared with an 88% score from more than 1,000 verified audience ratings.
For viewers interested in seeing what all the fuss is about, there’s no longer a trip to the movie theater required.
By Any Means is available to buy or rent digitally beginning Oct. 20. A subscription streaming date has not yet been announced.
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