Australian audiences will be able to catch By Any Means on the big screen from September 3rd, with the gripping crime thriller bringing together Mark Wahlberg and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in a story inspired by real events from one of America’s darkest periods.
Directed by Elegance Bratton (The Inspection), By Any Means explores the uneasy alliance between a young FBI agent and a notorious mob hitman as they investigate racially motivated murders in the Deep South during the 1960s.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars as a young Black FBI agent assigned to Mississippi at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Tasked with investigating the brutal killings of civil rights leaders, he finds himself forced into an unlikely partnership with infamous mafia enforcer Greg Scarpa, played by Mark Wahlberg.
By Any Means trailer
As the investigation unfolds, the pair are drawn into an increasingly dangerous pursuit where justice, revenge and morality become impossible to separate.
The film’s official synopsis reads:
“Inspired by a true story, a young Black FBI agent (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is sent into 1960s Mississippi to investigate a wave of brutal killings targeting civil rights leaders. Forced to work alongside notorious mafia hitman Greg Scarpa (Mark Wahlberg), he finds himself pulled into a deadly hunt where justice and vengeance begin to blur.”
The story is further summed up with the tagline:
“When the system is broken, two men divided by everything agree on one thing: the law has limits. They don’t.”
Beyond its two lead stars, By Any Means boasts an impressive supporting cast that includes Ethan Embry, Giancarlo Esposito, Josh Lucas, Nicole Beharie and David Strathairn.
Bratton, whose acclaimed drama The Inspection earned widespread praise for its emotional storytelling, now shifts his focus to a tense historical thriller examining the cost of justice during one of the most turbulent chapters in modern American history.
With its blend of true crime, political history and high-stakes action, By Any Means looks set to deliver a gripping cinematic experience when it arrives in Australian cinemas this September.
By Any Means opens in Australian cinemas on September 3rd, 2026.
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