‘By Any Means’ Ending, Explained (And Why It’s Supposed To Make You Mad)
By Any Means (2026) is a far harsher film than many of its thematic peers, as it confronts thorny issues of racial bias and undercuts justice in America. Set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights movement in the South and based on true events, By Any Means focuses largely on a New York mob enforcer who quietly works occasional jobs for the FBI. His latest takes him to rural Mississippi, where a local community leader has been killed.
Partnered up with a Black FBI agent, the dynamic between the pair is the beating heart of the film. It also notably refuses to be driven by the kind of tropes that usually define these kinds of films, as there is no easy resolution for their underlying tension. Instead, the movie’s ending is purposefully designed to be vindictively satisfying and bluntly cruel, befitting the real-life miscarriage of justice the film is based on and the anger the filmmakers want the audience to feel about the situation.
‘By Any Means’ Breaks Away From A Problematic Film Trope
By Any Means is a justifiably furious movie, with a prickly edge that underscores the movie’s thematic throughline. A common (and often insulting) trope in movies made for broad audiences about racial tension is the idea that people can, after a short period of time together, overcome decades of prejudice to become friends. While there are plenty of real-life examples of people growing and evolving their beliefs about others, films like Driving Ms. Daisy (1989) or Green Book (2018) make it seem like a situation where just a little empathy is all it takes to break down walls. That ignores the genuine work and effort that generations of people have put into changing the hearts and minds of others. By contrast, By Any Means is a far blunter, grimmer exploration of racial tension. The movie leans into the casual racism of Brooklyn mob enforcer Greg Scarpa when he is brought in to assist the young Black FBI agent, Wayne Strider.
However, he’s not genuinely hateful like many of the locals, including Sam Bowers (the man they’re after in their investigation of the lethal attack against local civil rights activist Vernon Dahmer). He speaks from a certain level of understanding, which makes sense given the historic prejudice Italian-Americans faced. Scarpa is dismissive of Strider’s morals, casual with his racism, and brutal in his methods. Notably, Scarpa doesn't change anything about his outlook. He doesn't end the film with a better view of other races or an epiphany about empathy. He leaves pleased that he got paid and that Strider has accepted his way of thinking. Similarly, Strider's wife and Dahmer's widow commit themselves to bettering the community by carrying on Vernon's civil rights work, but must contend with a system that pushes back against them wherever it can.
‘By Any Means’ Is Supposed To Make You Mad
By Any Means is not a movie that looks to resolve racism or end prejudice, because it understands those things aren't beaten by an unlikely friendship. It's a movie about rage at the injustice of it all and how even the most altruistic and well-intentioned efforts to play by the system's rules can sometimes fail—and require harsher methods. The ending of By Any Means underscores the unfairness of the supposed justice system at the heart of the film. While Strider's moral compass is thrown off by his actions and choices in apprehending the men who attacked his house and took part in the murder of Vernon, there is at least a sense of minor vindication in seeing one of the killers be dispatched himself while the others are arrested. However, a title card informs the audience that Bowers and his men faced little direct consequence for their actions.
It took decades of persistent legal pressure to finally convict Bowers of the crime, which finally happened in 1998. The audience is supposed to be angry about that, especially when the movie notes that the convicted killer working for the mob had a more immediate effect on the situation than the authorities trusted by the public to protect them. Even that feels like a hollow victory, considering the injustices that have happened since. Similar to movies like Black KKKlansman (2018), there is progress made, but it is hard-earned and without any redemption for the people who’ve been the aggressors. There’s no easy morality in By Any Means, which elevates the film above many of its peers that try to ensure any story about real-world tension comes with a Hollywood-style ending—and the movie is all the more effective for it.
