'Black Mass' relays an interesting mob story

I know I will lose massive amounts of credibility when I say this, but I am not a fan of mob movies. I didn’t enjoy “The Irishman” or “Goodfellas” and I’ve put off watching “The Godfather” for the sole fear of not really liking it.

However, I recently found an interesting mafia movie that really caught my attention and earned my respect for the genre.

“Black Mass” came across my screen while I was scrolling through Netflix, with David Harbour gracing the thumbnail. They sure know how to target me: a period piece based on a true story featuring some of my favorite actors? I am hooked pretty much every time.

I went into it expecting just another mafia movie with crime, corruption and a profound sense of justice when it comes to speaking to and interacting with your mother. I was waiting for all of the tropes, but they didn't really show up that much.

"Black Mass" is based on the true events of Boston mobster Whitey Bulger and his collaboration with the United States FBI.

Whitey Bulger, played by Johnny Depp in 10 pounds of makeup and prosthetics, leads a life having to step on eggshells it seems. Not only is he an informant for the FBI, but his brother is the sitting president of the Massachusetts Senate. However, this doesn't deter his life of murder and money laundering; it just makes him more careful.

There's also struggles going on within the FBI, as agent John Connolly does everything he can to keep Whitey protected by FBI power. Connolly grew up in South Boston with both of the Bulger brothers and has a deep connection with Whitey.

However, his means of protecting Whitey become more and more illegal, forcing him to play a dangerous game on both sides of the coin.

After a new prosecutor becomes the head of Connolly's division, the crackdown on organized crime, especially Whitey's crew, becomes the top priority. The new guy launches an internal investigation on everything they had from Whitey's time as an informant, where they make a shocking discovery: nearly every piece of information Whitey had given was useless.

All of his confessions had already been told by other informants, but Connolly needed the tips to be helpful in order to keep Whitey safe.

News breaks that the FBI had a direct collaboration with the Boston mafia, and Connolly is arrested alongside all of the members of Whitey's gang. Whitey got the jump on the prosecution and fled before he could be arrested.

Most of the real-life people the film is based on denied most, if not all, of the events that take place in the film. Are they still denying what happened after all these years, or did the story bend too far to keep production moving? I guess we won't know…