Black Mass

A 2015 American biographical crime drama film directed by Scott Cooper and written by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth, based on the book "Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob" by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill. The film chronicles the life of James "Whitey" Bulger (Johnny Depp), a notorious South Boston gangster who became an FBI informant in the 1970s to eliminate competition from the Italian Mafia. His alliance with FBI agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) enables Bulger to expand his criminal empire while evading law enforcement. The cast includes Benedict Cumberbatch as Bulger's brother, Senator Billy Bulger, Dakota Johnson as Lindsey Cyr, Kevin Bacon, Jesse Plemons, Peter Sarsgaard, and others. Filming took place in Boston from May to August 2014. The film received praise for its performances, particularly Depp's transformation, and grossed over $99 million worldwide against a budget of $53 million.