By Any Means, is a movie, which stars Yahya Abdul Mateen II, Mark Wahlberg, Nicole Beharie, Josh Lucas and David Strathairn, is inspired by real life events and it takes place in 1960s Mississippi during the American Civil Rights Movement, chronicles a terrifying tale of racism, murder, corruption and a search for justice two men from vastly different worlds must navigate together to deliver the scoffed and ignored criminals to their destinies.
At that period, there was a movement for equal rights, for freedom, for the right to live without fear and without fear being imposed upon them, Black people in Mississippi were being threatened, attacked and murdered, and some were receiving protection from the local authorities.
Three civil rights activists go missing in 1964, and the violence against those seeking equality starts to get more alarming, and the investigation into the murders brings to light a frightening connection between white supremacist groups and people supposed to be upholding the law.
It's a tragic turn in 1966 when esteemed civil rights activist Vernon Dahmer becomes a target. Despite threats to his life, one night, members of the Ku Klux Klan firebomb and shoot Dahmer's home, damaging his body, but his family manages to survive, he dies the next morning.
His death marks a turning point in the narrative, the authorities are under pressure to find out who did it, but they are not able to crack the case as easily as they would like, fear has spread into the community and witnesses don't want to come forward out of fear that they may be targeted for their information.
This is where the story turns when Wayne Strider (Yahya Abdul Mateen II) comes along, a young Black FBI agent who can't help but want to investigate into the murder and get to the bottom of what happened, believing in the law and collecting the evidence, but not always getting it from those who need it most.
To assist with the investigation, the FBI turns to Greg Scarpa (Mark Wahlberg), a violent, intimidating and known hitman for the mob.
But the relationship between Wayne and Scarpa is anything but peaceful, as Wayne says that criminals need to be caught with proper investigation, Scarpa argues that sometimes fear and force are the only things that can help criminals talk, which inevitably results in arguments, tension, and a few morally dubious moves.
As they delve deeper into the crime, however, they start to discover details about the individuals involved in the attack, witnesses gradually provide clues, and evidence gradually points towards two powerful Ku Klux Klan figures, Sam Bowers.
Their efforts eventually result in arrests and a solution to the case, but Wayne is left to wonder about the justice system and the cost of doing what is right when the law is compromised.
Overall, By Any Means is more than a crime thriller, it poses the question of racism, courage, morality and the tough decisions that people have to make when justice appears out of reach, and leaves one big question in the minds of viewers, how far is too far to go to make things right when things go wrong for those who are innocent?
Rating: 80/100
