‘Black Mass’ Trailer: Johnny Depp Is America’s Most Wanted Gangster

I’m still not entirely sold on Black Mass, which promises to teach us how to take Johnny Depp seriously again. Depp ditches the silly hats in favor of a bald cap to play the role of notorious crime boss Whitey Bulger, and judging by the trailers, this could be a legitimately good Depp performance. Could. Maybe. We’ll see.

The second trailer for Black Mass leans on dark humor, whereas the first trailer was straight-up unnerving, introducing us to Depp as the sly, sinister criminal. In the new trailer, Depp’s Bulger gives his six-year-old son some inappropriate life lessons, while Dakota Johnson (presumably playing his younger wife) scolds him for it. There’s also a humorous run-in with an elderly woman amidst some shots of violence, indicating that Black Mass won’t be entirely dour and gritty — which could be a good thing. Could. Maybe. We’ll see.

In 1970s South Boston, FBI Agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) persuades Irish mobster James ‘Whitey’ Bulger (Johnny Depp) to collaborate with the FBI and eliminate a common enemy: the Italian mob.  The drama tells the true story of this unholy alliance, which spiraled out of control, allowing Whitey to evade law enforcement, consolidate power, and become one of the most ruthless and powerful gangsters in Boston history.

Black Mass also stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Corey Stoll, Jesse Plemons, Juno Temple, Joel Edgerton and Peter Sarsgaard and arrives in theaters on September 18.