By Any Means is a historical crime thriller set in 1960s Mississippi, where a young Black FBI agent is forced into an unlikely partnership with notorious mafia hitman Greg Scarpa. Inspired by a true story, the film follows their hunt for those responsible for a wave of brutal killings targeting civil rights leaders.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Mark Wahlberg lead the film, with
Elegance Bratton directing from a screenplay by Sascha Penn. Paramount Pictures
is releasing By Any Means in U.S. theaters on September 4, 2026.
 |
| BY ANY MEANS (2026) — STORY • CAST • RELEASE DATE |
Watch the By Any Means Trailer
Paramount Pictures released the official trailer on June 3, 2026, followed by a final trailer in August. The footage focuses on the uneasy partnership between the FBI and the mob, framing the investigation as a case where official channels have failed.
Quick Facts
U.S. theatrical release: September 4, 2026
Director: Elegance Bratton
Screenwriter: Sascha Penn
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Lead cast: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Wahlberg, Nicole Beharie
Runtime: 1 hour 47 minutes
Rating: R for violence/bloody images and pervasive language
Genres: Crime, Thriller, Drama, History
Setting: 1960s Mississippi
TMDB movie ID: 1380417
What Is By Any Means About?
The story follows a young Black FBI agent sent to Mississippi
to investigate a series of killings targeting civil rights leaders. The
investigation is politically dangerous, racially charged and increasingly
difficult to pursue through ordinary law-enforcement channels.
The agent is forced to work with Greg Scarpa, a notorious
mafia hitman with his own methods and loyalties. The partnership immediately
creates tension: one man is supposed to represent the law, while the other has
built his life outside it.
As the investigation deepens, the line between justice and
vengeance begins to blur. Paramount's official synopsis summarizes the film's
central idea with a simple premise: when the system is broken, the law has
limits — and these two men do not.
When Does By Any Means Release?
By Any Means opens in U.S. theaters on September 4, 2026
through Paramount Pictures. The release is listed as a wide theatrical opening,
with tickets already available through the official movie site and major
theater platforms.
Is By Any Means Based on a True Story?
Yes. Paramount markets the film as being inspired by a true
story, and its central setup draws from allegations that mob figure Greg Scarpa
assisted the FBI during civil-rights-era investigations in Mississippi.
The movie is a dramatization rather than a documentary, so viewers
should expect characters, conversations and events to be shaped for a thriller
narrative. The historical backdrop, however, is rooted in real violence against
civil rights leaders and the extraordinary methods reportedly used during some
federal investigations.
Who Is Greg Scarpa?
Mark Wahlberg plays Greg Scarpa, a notorious organized-crime
figure who becomes an unlikely partner to the FBI investigation.
Scarpa's presence gives the film its central moral conflict.
He can reach places and use tactics that official agents cannot, but working
with him also means accepting help from a man whose own history is violent and
criminal.
That tension is what makes the partnership interesting: the
movie is not simply asking whether Scarpa can help solve the case, but what
happens when law enforcement decides that the normal rules are no longer
enough.
Who Is Wayne Strider?
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays Wayne Strider, the young Black
FBI agent at the center of the investigation.
As the law-enforcement half of the partnership, Strider is
placed in an especially difficult position. He is investigating racist violence
in 1960s Mississippi while also being expected to cooperate with a mafia hitman
whose methods challenge the principles he is supposed to uphold.
The trailer emphasizes the contrast between Strider and
Scarpa, suggesting that their uneasy partnership will drive both the suspense
and the character drama.
What Role Does Vernon Dahmer Play?
Giancarlo Esposito plays Vernon Dahmer, a real civil rights
leader whose murder became one of the most notorious racially motivated
killings in Mississippi during the 1960s.
His presence connects the film's crime-thriller structure
directly to the historical civil rights struggle and raises the stakes beyond a
conventional murder investigation.
Why the 1960s Mississippi Setting Matters
The setting is not just background. By Any Means takes place
during one of the most dangerous periods of the American civil rights movement,
when activists faced intimidation, bombings and murder.
That context gives the investigation its sense of urgency and also explains why the partnership between an FBI agent and a mobster becomes possible in the first place. The film's central question is what justice looks like when the institutions responsible for delivering it are unable — or unwilling — to act effectively.
Cast and Characters
Click any actor’s name in the Cast section for more details.
Who Directed By Any Means?
Elegance Bratton directs By Any Means. Bratton is also
credited as a producer, while Sascha Penn wrote the screenplay.
The production team includes Alex Lebovici, Chester Algernal
Gordon, Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson among the
credited producers.
Runtime and Rating
By Any Means runs 1 hour and 47 minutes. The film is rated R
for violence, bloody images and pervasive language.
The rating and trailer both suggest a serious crime-thriller
tone rather than a softened historical drama, with violence and moral ambiguity
central to the story.
What the Trailer Reveals
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's FBI agent is sent into Mississippi to investigate killings targeting civil rights leaders.
- Mark Wahlberg's Greg Scarpa becomes the agent's unlikely partner.
- The film centers on the conflict between legal procedure and extralegal force.
- The investigation is tied directly to the violence surrounding the civil rights movement.
- Giancarlo Esposito appears as Vernon Dahmer.
- The final trailer reinforces the film's true-story angle and the uneasy FBI–mob partnership.
- Paramount releases the film in U.S. theaters on September 4, 2026.
Final Thoughts
By Any Means stands out because its crime-thriller hook is
built around an uncomfortable real-world question: what happens when the system
meant to deliver justice appears unable to do so?
Pairing Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's FBI agent with Mark
Wahlberg's Greg Scarpa gives the film a strong character conflict, while the
Mississippi civil rights setting gives the story historical weight.
With a September 4 theatrical release, a 107-minute runtime
and a cast that also includes Nicole Beharie, David Strathairn, Josh Lucas,
LisaGay Hamilton, LaChanze, Ethan Embry and Giancarlo Esposito, By Any Means is
shaping up as one of the more serious crime thrillers opening at the start of
the fall movie season.
Reference Sources
• Paramount Pictures – By Any Means
• Paramount Pictures – Official Trailer
• Official By Any Means Website