When thinking of the term “black mass”, some may think of the phrase’s definition: a worshiping of Satan. But now, many will think of Massachusetts and its dark history surrounding the infamous Whitey Bulger.

As the most powerful gangster in Boston, Johnny Depp brilliantly portrayed the cynical, intrusive, and diabolical Whitey Bulger. Through makeup, a wig, a voice change, and an overall transformation from his true self, Depp embodied the image that comes to mind when Whitey Bulger is mentioned. Depp managed to appear as a full-blown sociopath, tremendously outdoing all of his other movies.

In one scene, in the middle of the movie, Depp, as Bulger, while acting as though he is holding a regular conversation, persuades an FBI agent to reveal a secret family recipe. He then tells the agent how giving away information like that so easily could get him killed. Depp then heightens the scene with an out roar of crackled laughter, as everyone’s faces flush white. The sheer talent shown within this simple scene sets the precedent for the entirety of the movie.

Jam packed with gun scene after gun scene, the movie established the number of people dead because of Whitey and revealed the effect he had on Boston. Having men who committed murders under Bulger’s orders interviewed to better portray his story was a smart way to connect the audience with the characters themselves. The movie brought up the darkness within Boston that many choose to avoid during Bulger’s reign of terror, telling the true story of the city and Bulger’s impact.