Black Mass (2015) [4K UHD Review]

Black Mass is not even a decade old, but it already feels like a relic from another era. It just goes to show how fast things like Johnny Depp, non female focused true crime and post The Departed narratives can go out of fashion. But, that doesn’t mean that Scott Cooper’s 2015 work is bad. Actually, it’s far from it. But, how does the Black Mass 4K UHD come across?

The Eyes of Whitey Bulger

Black Mass is one of those movies that slips under the radar in discussions about great crime dramas, and that’s a shame. Directed by Scott Cooper, the film stars Johnny Depp as James “Whitey” Bulger, one of the most notorious crime lords in American history.

Black Mass is based on the non-fiction book Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob by Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill, and it tells the chilling story of Bulger’s rise to power in South Boston. The movie isn’t just about Bulger’s criminal activities but also about his complex relationship with the FBI, particularly with agent John Connolly, played by Joel Edgerton. It’s a gritty, bleak film that pulls no punches in its portrayal of corruption, loyalty, and the consequences of unchecked power.

Boston has a lot of crime and bars where everyone knows you’re Norm

When Black Mass first came out, it garnered a lot of attention, mostly because of Johnny Depp’s performance. Let’s be honest, Depp’s career has been a rollercoaster, and this film marked a sort of return to serious acting after a string of more whimsical roles. As Whitey Bulger, Depp is almost unrecognizable, both physically and in his mannerisms. Gone is the flamboyance of Jack Sparrow, replaced by a cold, calculating menace that is both terrifying and captivating. His portrayal of Bulger is intense—this is a man who can flip from being almost paternal to someone capable of the most horrific violence without batting an eye. It’s an unnerving performance that anchors the entire film.

But beyond Depp, the movie is also a study in moral decay. The FBI, represented by Edgerton’s John Connolly, is complicit in Bulger’s reign of terror, turning a blind eye to his crimes in exchange for information on the Italian Mafia. The film does an excellent job of showing how these kinds of compromises chip away at the soul, turning good men into something less. It’s not just a gangster film; it’s a tragedy about the corrupting influence of power and the lies we tell ourselves to justify the unjustifiable.

The supporting cast is also strong, featuring names like Benedict Cumberbatch as Billy Bulger, Whitey’s politician brother, and Kevin Bacon as Connolly’s superior in the FBI. These performances round out the film, making it a well-acted ensemble piece that provides a multifaceted view of the events it portrays.

Scorsese said a lot about this kind of stuff with Killers of the Flower Moon

Killers of the Flower Moon just seems to linger about anymore. It’s something I thought about when watching Black Mass for the first time since it was in theaters. How gross it is to glamorize real world crime figures with very real victims. Why? Because they had personality? Oh well, back to the main show.

What True Crime means now in 4K UHD

The film’s visual style is dark, gritty, and very much in line with its subject matter. Scott Cooper and his team went for a muted color palette, with lots of grays, browns, and blues, reflecting the bleakness of the world these characters inhabit. The 4K UHD upgrade does an excellent job of bringing out these details. The textures, especially in close-ups, are sharper, and the color grading feels more deliberate. You can almost feel the coldness of a Boston winter or the grime on the streets of Southie. However, it’s not all about the grittiness—some scenes are almost beautiful in their bleakness, like a painting that’s striking but not necessarily pleasant to look at.

But—and this is a significant “but”—the difference between the 4K UHD and the standard Blu-ray isn’t always dramatic. Yes, the 4K offers better detail, and the HDR (High Dynamic Range) helps with the contrast in darker scenes, but this isn’t the kind of movie that’s going to blow you away with vibrant colors or dazzling effects. It’s a subtle improvement, one that you’ll appreciate if you’re paying close attention, but it might not be enough to justify a double dip if you already own the Blu-ray.

Let’s talk about that 4K UHD some more

Watching Black Mass in 4K UHD made me think a lot about the nature of crime dramas in general and why they fascinate us so much. There’s something deeply compelling about stories that dig into the darker sides of human nature, that explore the lengths to which people will go for power, money, or even just survival. And in the case of Black Mass, there’s the added layer of it being a true story—or at least based on true events.

Whitey Bulger was a real person, as were John Connolly and the other characters in the film. Knowing that these events actually happened—or something close to them—adds a weight to the film that fiction just can’t match. It makes you question how much of this kind of thing happens in real life without us ever knowing. How many “good guys” have cut deals with the devil to achieve their goals? And at what cost?

The film doesn’t provide easy answers to these questions. In fact, it doesn’t really provide answers at all. It’s more of an exploration, a deep dive into a world most of us will never experience firsthand but are morbidly curious about. And in that sense, Black Mass is incredibly effective. It pulls you in with the allure of danger and power, but it doesn’t glorify these things. Instead, it shows the consequences—the lives ruined, the trust betrayed, the inevitable downfall that comes when you build your empire on lies and violence.

It’s also worth noting how the film portrays loyalty, particularly the twisted form of it that Bulger demands from those around him. Loyalty, in Bulger’s world, is a one-way street. You’re loyal to him, but the moment you become inconvenient or a liability, you’re discarded—or worse. It’s a toxic kind of loyalty, one that’s built on fear rather than respect, and the film does an excellent job of showing just how corrosive that can be.

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