Johnny Depp is Pure Evil in Black Mass

"While his brother Bill (Benedict Cumberbatch) remains a powerful leader in the Massachusetts Senate, Irish hoodlum James "Whitey" Bulger (Johnny Depp) continues to pursue a life of crime in 1970s Boston. Approached by FBI agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton), the lawman convinces Whitey to help the agency fight the Italian mob. As their unholy alliance spirals out of control, Bulger increases his power and evades capture to become one of the most dangerous gangsters in U.S. history."  

Rated R (for brutal violence, language, sexual references & brief drug use)

Goodbye Edward Scissorhands - this is a whole new Johnny Depp.  His dark, honest portrayal of Whitey Bulger, one of the most notorious criminals in US History will come up in every Oscar conversation this season.  His icy blue stare is still haunting me.

Depp wasn't the only performance that blew my mind with this movie.  Joel Edgerton played "Good Cop Gone Bad" brilliantly.  His face seemed to slowly melt as he got sucked further and further into the dark world of Whitey Bulger & the Winter Hill Gang.

Dakota Johnson?  Turns out she is so much more than a silly young girl into S&M - her performance as Bulger's mistress was perfect.  She earned my respect as an actor with this performance and I can't wait to see more of her.

One of the scariest scenes of the movie is between Marianne Connolly (played by Julianne Nicholson) & Bulger.  While the men talk over dinner, she has locked herself upstairs pretending to be sick to avoid being around Bulger, of whom she is terrified.  Sensing something is off, Bulger goes to check on her.  I won't spoil the scene, but I will tell you it isn't one you will soon forget.  

While the movie seemed a bit slow paced at times, Director Scott Hooper keeps us mesmerized by the authenticity of the set, the costuming, & the makeup.  We were in a time machine and it was flawless.

Hooper knows how important it is to sell the level of sociopath Whitey Bulger really was. Because of that,   I admit to spending 1/2 of the movie looking directly at the floor because I couldn't stomach the violence.

Overall, I really liked this movie.  Even if I couldn't watch half of it.