After debuting to good word of mouth in Venice, Scott Cooper’s gangster epic Black Mass played in Telluride to solid notices, but received a cooler reception in Toronto, a week before it opened in theaters. Johnny Depp is still a surefire contender for his comeback performance as Irish American Boston crime lord Whitey Bulger. Joel Edgerton has the less showy role as a corrupt FBI agent, but he’s arguably the lead of the thriller, and holds the entire enterprise together with his deft work.
Possible major nominations: Actor (Johnny Depp), supporting actor (Joel Edgerton)