Black Mass, the biopic about notorious South Boston crime lord James “Whitey” Bulger, directed by Scott Cooper and starring Johnny Depp as Bulger, arrived in theaters last weekend.

The film on the whole is fairly good; however, its story is uneven tonally and is simply not that interesting. The entire movie goes from plot point to plot point, seemingly trying to add to the running time, feeling more like a reenactment of Bulger’s life than a character study. This is prevalent throughout the running time, as the film never goes into depth to explain why Bulger acts the way he does, simply showing events in his life like his son’s death and implying that this affected him.  Depp plays basically the same character throughout the movie.

In addition, there is no antagonist in the film, showing again how the film plays out more as a documentary than a biopic. The antagonist didn’t even have to be a person; it could’ve just been the inner conflict of Bulger or even that of John Connolly (played by Joel Edgerton).

This lackluster story does little to keep the audience entertained; however, the movie is able to keep the audience’s attention due to Depp’s excellent acting. Depp gives a standout performance in a film with an all-around solid cast, featuring the likes of Joel Edgerton and Benedict Cumberbatch, all of whom give good performances, but where Depp shines is in the presence he emits when he is on screen. Depp portrays a creepy and unsettling character, and this is especially prevalent in the latter half of the film. In an intense and chilling scene where the main characters are dining together, Depp’s performance makes you tremble with fear and anxiety. The feeling of the entire scene itself is indescribable, but the word that best describes the combination of both the direction and Depp’s performance is haunting.

In short, Black Mass is a good movie that is worth watching, but so many other mob/gangster films have done better: The Godfather and Goodfellas, just to name a few.  Depp’s performance alone, however, is enough to consider seeing this film. Final Verdict: 7/10