By Any Means Review: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Shines in a Heavy True Story That Still Finds Room to Breathe

There are certain subjects I tend to stay away from when it comes to movies, and stories centered on racism in the Deep South and the Ku Klux Klan are usually high on that list. It is not because those stories should not be told, they absolutely should but because they can be emotionally exhausting to sit through, especially when we already know how ugly this chapter of American history was.

So I went into By Any Means knowing the subject matter probably wasn't going to be an easy watch. What I wasn't expecting was just how interesting I would find the story, particularly after learning that the film is inspired by true events.

At the center of the movie is Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who gives the kind of performance that reminds you just how commanding he can be when given material with some weight behind it. He brings an intensity to the film without making every moment feel like it is screaming for your attention. There is restraint when the story calls for it, but he also knows exactly when to turn up the heat. His character is frustrating but of course you root for him. Yahya plays the do-gooder very well.

Nicole Beharie is another standout. She brings an emotional grounding to the story that becomes increasingly important as the film moves deeper into some very uncomfortable territory. Beharie has always been an actress capable of doing a lot with even the smallest moment, and By Any Means gives her opportunities to show that range. We needed more of her.

Then there is Mark Wahlberg, whose character is, to put it nicely, extremely unlikeable. Sir... there were moments.

But Wahlberg also provides some unexpected comedic beats throughout the movie, and surprisingly, they work. In a film dealing with such heavy subject matter, those moments offer just enough breathing room without making light of what is happening around them. His chemistry with Abdul-Mateen II is also one of the film's strengths. Their dynamic gives the movie an energy that helps carry it through some of its darker stretches.

That balance is important because By Any Means could have easily become overwhelmingly grim. Instead, the performances keep you invested in the people at the center of the story rather than allowing the movie to become solely about its subject matter.

Learning that the film was inspired by a true story also changed the way I looked at it. There is something inherently fascinating and unsettling about watching events unfold and realizing that beneath the Hollywood performances is a story rooted in something that actually happened. It made me want to know more about the real events after the credits rolled, which is usually a pretty good indication that a film has done its job.

That doesn't mean By Any Means suddenly made me eager to seek out more movies dealing with the KKK or the brutality of racism in the Deep South. Absolutely not. This remains difficult material, and there were moments when the subject matter was every bit as uncomfortable as I expected it to be. But the film surprised me.

By Any Means takes an incredibly heavy piece of history and finds a way to tell its story without making the experience completely suffocating. Abdul-Mateen II shines, Beharie delivers another strong performance, and Wahlberg brings an unexpected bit of humor to a character I certainly wasn't rooting for.

I walked into the screening expecting the subject matter to make this a difficult movie for me to connect with. Instead, I walked out interested in the true story behind it and still thinking about the performances.

Sometimes that surprise is exactly what you want from a screening.

Grade: B