In 1920s USA, alcohol consumption has effectively been banned as part of nationwide prohibition. But just because something is illegal doesn’t mean it won’t happen.

This is where Joe comes in. Back from World War I and, despite being the son of the Boston police officer (or because of it,) he gets involved in a life of crime.

But when he raids a rival gang boss’s bar, taking money and attracting the man’s girlfriend in the process, he makes a powerful enemy and ends up becoming more and more entrenched in gangster dealings.

Who’s in it?

Ben Affleck leads as Joe and the supporting cast around him includes Elle Fanning (“Maleficent,”) Brendan Gleeson (“In Bruges,”) Chris Messina (“Argo,”) Sienna Miller (“American Sniper,”) Zoe Saldana (“Guardians of the Galaxy,”) Chris Cooper (“Adaptation,”) Scott Eastwood (“The Longest Ride,”) Max Casella (“The Sopranos,”) and singer Miguel.

Who’s behind it?

As well as starring, Ben Affleck also wrote and directed “Live By Night,” having done the same on crime thriller “The Town” and both directed and starred in “Argo,” which went on to claim the 2013 Oscar for Best Motion Picture.

It’s based on Dennis Lehane’s Edgar Award-winning novel of the same name.

When’s it out?

Like many of its turn-of-the-year contemporaries, and with a big splash set for January 13, 2017, “Live By Night” is being given a limited US release on December 25, 2016.

Included in an international roll-out the week of January 12 are Brazil, Hong Kong, Russia, Singapore, Canada, and the UK and Ireland, with France and Belgium and the Philippines following the next week and the Netherlands and Germany not long after that.

Is it any good?

Ahead of that December 25 limited release, but following a New York premiere on the 13th, “Live By Night” had attained an 8.8/10 weighted average score from a small pool of 142 IMDb user reviewers.