Johnny Depp recently hit rock bottom with what is arguably his worst movie ever, the downright dreadful "comedy" caper, Mortdecai, which cemented the actor as a man desperately in need of a career reinvention. Or one solid movie. Thank God for Black Mass, then, which couldn't have come at a better time; based on the true story of one infamous gangster, Whitey Bulger, this gritty crime drama looks like a proper movie, with Johnny Depp - wait for it - doing what appears to be proper acting. It's goodbye to all the weird and quirky roles that have clogged up his filmography recently, and hello to something that appears to be genuinely meaty. Yes, Depp is still heavily made-up and covered in prosthetics, but Black Mass still couldn't be further away from the likes of The Lone Ranger and Alice in Wonderland. Hopefully the reviews will be overwhelmingly positive, thus convincing Depp that he doesn't need to resort to wigs and funny hats, and is better served making motion pictures for adults.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
