BY ANY MEANS
A dark, edgy film focused on revenge.
Should You Watch It?
Skip this movie. Based on a true story, it looks at crime and African American segregation in the 1960s through a modern lens. Yahya's performance as Wayne shows a real shift in the character, but the actor who plays Gregory pushes the mobster hitman role too far.
The movie packs in over 88 instances of strong language, sexual jokes, and other crude talk, plus scenes that blaspheme God. It also shows graphic violence, such as torture and murder.
Both the heroes and villains carry Christian and religious themes. At one point, the heroes pray. The villains burn crosses and twist the Bible to justify the KKK. Still, these positive religious threads don't outweigh the movie's heavy focus on revenge and its evil-against-evil mindset.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESIn 1966 Mississippi, Wayne Strider works as an African American FBI agent who fights segregation just to do his job. When he and his wife return home, the local KKK murders his mentor, a civil rights leader. The investigation hits walls, so the FBI pairs the by-the-book agent with Gregory Scarpa, a notorious hitman and mobster, and makes Wayne his handler. Now Wayne must choose between the law and the hitman's way.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars reflect the artistry, not the themes. Bratton pulls viewers into a gritty, high-stakes thriller set in the 60s. Contrast, color, and costumes build tension and pull you into every scene. The movie also details African American segregation visually, thematically, and audibly.
Moments of comedy between Wayne and Gregory break up the action sequences. Each decision Wayne makes pushes him further from by-the-book justice toward independent revenge. Many scenes show segregation as "just how it is," and Gregory pushes Wayne toward that same conclusion.
Some scenes show the protagonist in prayer, but the movie also portrays "white" Christianity as a manipulation tactic the KKK uses. Director Bratton sticks to history with the themes of segregation and the cult's cruelty. However, the action-packed movie tailors itself to modern audiences, where "evil white man" or "white policeman" stands in as the villain instead of individuals who make these choices.
The movie uses the antagonists' evil acts to justify the protagonist's actions. The movie's final act leaves every character without redemption, and Wayne takes out his anger on the KKK members in a torture scene. Revenge might feel earned in the moment, but it still leaves Wayne no different from the evil he set out to fight.
The Worldview
The movie's core rests on a humanist worldview: characters replace God's justice with their own violent verdict. Leftist takes on Christian "nationalism" and racial divides sit atop that frame. The story rightly casts the KKK as an evil cult, but it also excuses wrongdoing on the other side because the enemy commits "more" evil. Some scenes show the protagonist at prayer, yet the movie also frames "white" Christianity as a manipulation tactic the KKK uses, and it leans hard into racial divides throughout.
Violence becomes the only answer when the justice system fails. Fighting immorality means fighting fire with fire, and not just the mobster reaches that conclusion. Wayne, who wrestles with his own racial struggles, and even the FBI reach it too. The movie claims to tell a true story but doesn't deliver a straight account. The background stays vague, several claims face dispute, and this thriller amps up or invents most of its case details.
Wayne and his wife pray and quote verses, and Wayne tells Gregory to read Martin Luther King Jr.'s message. But the movie tosses aside the morals it raises. Harm to innocent bystanders and torture of KKK members both earn an excuse in the name of the greater good. The KKK justifies murder to "protect" their side, and the protagonists justify the same violence as justice for African Americans. God "made from one man every nation of mankind" (Acts 17:26), but the movie puts racial revenge ahead of that redemption.
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
A strong mixed worldview including leftist views of Christian "nationalism" and racial divides. The movie clearly depicts the KKK as an evil cult but also justifies wrongdoing on the other side because the enemy is "more" evil. Christian elements show the protagonist in prayer, while "white" Christianity is portrayed as a manipulation tactic used by the KKK, and the movie emphasizes racial divides throughout
Foul Language
Strong foul language. Over 88 obscenities and 20 profanities involving swearing and irreverent references to Christianity. 59 "f" words alone
Sex
Multiple jokes referencing male genitalia. A brief depicted sex scene between a man and a woman with clear signs of adultery.
Nudity
Partial upper and lower female nudity and upper male nudity.
Violence
Multiple scenes involving torture, in-frame punching, shooting, and hitting using cars and a baseball bat. Multiple gunfights, attacks using fire, shooting of unarmed people and uninvolved bystanders. Punching a filing cabinet. Throwing someone from a car. Depictions of blood and injuries. Animal cruelty. Attempted strangulation and a group beating up one person. Alcohol: Several scenes show social drinking
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
Smoking in multiple scenes;
Miscellaneous Immorality
Reckless driving, breaking and entering, a character threatens another character's mother. Burning of a cross. Sexual and racial slurs.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
How does the movie approach the divides in race compared to God's word? Matthew 5:44
The movie claims that evil should be prevented using more evil, how can we approach racial difficulties now in a Biblical light? Romans 12:21
When injustices happen to you, what is the first reaction that comes to mind and how can you change according to God's purpose? Romans 12:19
The Final Word
BY ANY MEANS is an action-thriller that centers on revenge and delves into themes of racial messaging. Based on a true story, it connects with modern racial ideologies, which may resonate with some viewers. While the acting, visuals, and pacing are commendable, the themes are largely anti-biblical, making it unsuitable for families, children, or teenagers. Overall it’s a high-stakes, edgy movie that isn't worth the watch.
