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By Any Means is based on the true story of mobster and FBI informant Gregory Scarpa Sr. (played in the movie by Mark Wahlberg, with a prosthetic nose) who extracted information from folks by, as the title suggests, any means necessary.
Directed by Elegance Bratton and written by Sascha Penn, By Any Means follows the mob hitman as he works with a fictionalized FBI agent named Wayne Strider (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) to solve the Ku Klux Klan’s murder of civil rights leader Vernon Dahmer (Giancarlo Esposito) in Mississippi.
In the hands of anyone else, this movie could have been a disastrous Green Book scenario.
Thank God for Elegance Bratton.
Bratton has directed fantastic films that have his stamp on them: The Inspection as well as the feature docs Pier Kids and Move Ya Body: The Birth of House. By Any Means is easily his most commercial film, and he has a fine directorial eye, ushering a finely crafted thriller into a landscape of true crime that can often be kitschy, artificial, aggressively sanitized, and disposable.
By Any Means is a movie that does the job it’s supposed to do, but it feels like material that would have had more of an impact if it were released in another era that wasn’t so rife with division. Bratton is thoughtful with this, handling the story with an even hand that focuses more on the corruption of the justice system and law enforcement, trying to avoid falling into the white savior trap.
Considering they are set in the prime of the civil rights era, By Any Means will likely receive the criticism Mississippi Burning (1988) received: white saviors substituted for Black agency. Bratton does the best balancing act he can with this, but the scales — through no fault of his own — can’t help but weigh a bit heavier on the white savior side because that is just how the world is, unfortunately.
Agent Strider receives zero respect or recognition as a Black FBI agent. He code-switches and restrains himself because he cannot do his job or move the world the same way a white FBI agent does his job (there are great moments that touch on this between Abdul-Mateen’s character and the talented and underutilized Nicole Beharie, who plays his wife, Allison). Enter Scarpa: a violent, no-nonsense monster who will torture and humiliate suspects to get the truth — something that Strider, deep down, wishes he could do.
It’s a classic tale of how white people can get away with more than people of color — especially Black folks. Systemic racism plays more of a role here than Scarpa’s alleged deal with the FBI.
The movie tries not to be about Scarpa being the white savior Strider. However, it also is about Scarpa saving Strider, unfortunately. And the fact that Abdul-Mateen’s character is fictional doesn’t make this situation any better.
Bratton directed a fantastic, harrowing movie, but it’s a story that can be triggering and a painful reminder of the world we live in — and not many people want that right now. By Any Means is essentially Mississippi Burning for 2026. Abdul-Mateen and Wahlberg have a surprisingly good chemistry — but I would rather have seen that chemistry in a Lethal Weapon or 48 Hours situation.
By Any Means will stoke the same conversations and probably stir conflicting emotions among people about tragic moments in history that are important to remember but difficult to heal from. The movie stays as mindful as it can and clearly tries to avoid hitting landmines that could have make this a catastrophic mess.
Coyote Vs. Acme is easily one of my best movies of 2026. Not only is it a delightful and silly romp of comedy and nostalgia, but it is a big middle finger to Warner Bros. for leaving this new animated classic on the shelf.
A spiritual sister to Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, the Dave Green-directed courtroom comedy written by Samy Burch is a must-see in theaters. It’s also a Looney Tunes-tinged commentary about how the out-of-touch men with Foghorn Leghorn energy are ruining the world with their corporate greed and soulless capitalistic erections.
Will Forte plays billboard attorney Kevin, who puts in minimal effort and is tasked with representing the Looney Tunes legend Wile E. Coyote against corporate giant Acme. I tend to forget that Forte is one of the most versatile performers to come out of the SNL machine. (We deserve another MacGruber movie — and let’s not forget him in Nebraska.) Meanwhile, Lana Condor is an absolute delight as his overambitious intern Paige — who happens to also be his niece.
I am a bit of a cautious fan of John Cena because I feel like there might be some sort of racist or homophobic story about him that I do not know of (I’m sure he’s fine, but you never know with these white cis hetero men these days). He plays an enjoyable hand-wringing villain with dollar signs in their eyes that is a perfect successor to Christopher Lloyd’s Judge Doom from Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Surprisingly emotional and hyper-relevant to the current landscape of the entertainment and media industry, Coyote Vs. Acme is a better movie than you think it is. More than that, it is a clever allegory of the compulsive-consumption cycle fueled by instant gratification that exists in the world through various avenues: social media scrolling, binge-watching, and incessant Amazon shopping. In this case, Acme is Amazon.
It feels like Warner Bros. decided not to release Coyote Vs. Acme because the movie was openly and happily biting the hand that was feeding them because it was feeding them bullshit.
It was said that WB nixed the release of Coyote Vs. Acme for a tax write-off. After premiering second to the box-office juggernaut Spider-Man: Brand New Day to the tune of about $15.5 million and garnering critical and audience praise, Coyote Vs. Acme is proof that maybe these execs don’t really know best
I’m also currently watching older seasons of The Great Food Truck Race, and this show is wild. It’s like Amazing Race meets Top Chef, and I live. I learned that even the food truck world isn’t safe from pettiness.
The reality series is essentially a cross-country, who-can-make-the-most-money food truck competition that gives Cannonball Run energy. Teams of three run themed food trucks with cutesy and/or clever names, like “Stop Drop N Roll” or “Fat Kid Food Co.” or my fave of this season: “Eat My Biscuits”. They make stops in cities and try to make as much money as possible to win — and that brings out the pettiness. Like when the “Bug & Bear’s Cannoli” truck folks were talking shit about the “Cason Funnel Cakes” truck. Or in Season 17 when the “Argentina’s Empanadas” folks started to spread rumors about the dudes from the “Bao Bei” cheating. With petty drama like this, how can you not love this show?
I love this kind of reality competition shit — and the season 19 finale is September 6! And in case you’re interested, I’m rooting for the ladies from “Hele Roll” (pictured above).
Also in my never-ending queue of film, TV series, and content is the current season of Drag Race Down Under vs. the World. I don’t follow the vs. The World franchise much, but the current season involves one of my fave queens: LaLa Ri. It also made me fall in love with the gorgeous M1ss Jade So from Drag Race Philippines season 2. And a shout-out to her for bringing awareness to the SOGIE Equality Bill in the Philippines, which recognizes the fundamental rights of every person regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Speaking of the Filipino diaspora, I had an opportunity to watch the upcoming DreamWorks animated feature Forgotten Island, written and directed by Januel Mercado and Joel Crawford. It was a community screening at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles, and tons of Filipinos were there. And yes, there was karaoke and Jollibee at the afterparty.
Full review to come, but Forgotten Island was a charming, animated coming-of-age buddy comedy that is very queer-coded. Following the lead of K-Pop Demon Hunters, Forgotten Island lives in a fantastically culturally specific world, but instead of Korea, it’s the Philippines.
With folklore and cultural specificity generously splashed on the screen, Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike will find joy in the movie and the representation it brings to one of many communities that Hollywood rarely creates space for. For bringing visibility, it succeeds, but Forgotten Island, like other culturally significant movies, carries a burden of representation that can get can dilute the storytelling. Read more in my full review closer to the September 25 release date.
In honor of the recent death of our country western queen Dolly Parton, I rewatched 9 to 5. It was the first time I’ve watched it in a minute, and I forgot how progressive this film was for the time.
I didn’t realize the movie was written and directed by Colin Higgins. He wrote and produced Harold and Maude and worked with Parton on Best Little Whorehouse in Texas before 9 to 5. Higgins was gay, which would explain why three of the movies he wrote remain iconic.
Except for a couple of minor things, 9 to 5 has aged pretty well. Hell, people running corporations can learn a thing or two from the holy trinity of Judy (Jane Fonda), Violet (Lily Tomlin), and Doralee (Parton) on how to make a better work environment.
Dolly may be gone, but we got plenty of pop culture totems to keep her alive — 9 to 5 being one of the main ones! I think I’ll revisit Steel Magnolias next.
… and a very special shout-out to Margaret played by Peggy Pope!
