Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75% The marketing campaign that drove Black Mass towards success - and critical acclaim - was hinged on the film being "Johnny Depp's return to form." The reason to go out and see Black Mass was, apparently, so you could watch Johnny Depp doing some proper acting again - you know, something that didn't require him to wear a hat or do a funny voice. Black Mass is worth seeing for Johnny Depp, but that's about it. The rest of the film feels like a Frankenstein's monster of other, better gangster movies - like a Scorsese Greatest Hits with none of the lasting power. Even Depp's performance, which - as stated - has been credited as a return to form, is still kind of a stunt. It's a mesmerising turn, yes, but there is little nuance in the act; it's still closer to an "impression" of a person than the real deal. You can understand why some critics got so excited about Black Mass, because - on the surface and in parts - it feels like a modern gangster movie classic. But the feeling that you're watching something great is fleeting, and by the end Black Mass owes too much to other pictures to deserve any real praise. Why is it so hard to care about this film?
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.
