the departed

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The movie begins in the 1970s in South Boston during the Boston race riots, when Irish mob boss Francis "Frank" Costello (Jack Nicholson) takes very young Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) under his wing preparing him to be a mole for his crew. Years later, the audience finds Sullivan training for the Massachusetts State Police. His classmates include Barrigan (James Badge Dale), Brown (Anthony Anderson) and Billy Costigan (Leonardo Dicaprio). Meanwhile, the cool and collected Captain Queenan (Martin Sheen) and the aggressive Staff Sergeant Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) of the Undercover Division assign Costigan to infiltrate Costello's crew.

Sullivan is soon promoted to the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) headed by the foul-mouthed Captain Ellerby (Alec Baldwin). Costigan's activities provoke Costello to take an interest in him, in time gaining his trust and acceptance into his crew. Meanwhile, Sullivan begins a romantic relationship with criminal psychiatrist Madolyn Madden (Vera Farmiga), who is also having sessions with Costigan as a part of his probation for assault.

Unknown to Sullivan, Costigan sleeps with Madolyn. The next night, Costigan witnesses the conversation in a theatre when Costello gives Sullivan information, afterwards shadowing Sullivan into the streets, only to lose him. Costigan was unable to recognize the recipient as Sullivan; he was only able to confirm the existence of a mole.

Sullivan is assigned to uncover the mole in SIU, who is of course himself. This makes for some tension between Sullivan and Dignam, who accuses Sullivan of being the mole in the SIU. Above suspicion, he focuses instead on finding the police snitch in Costello's crew. Tracing Costello's information fails to produce any leads, however, because Dignam blocks it. Trying another tack results in mix ups and mistakes.

When Queenan goes to meet Costigan at a run-down building, Sullivan orders the SIU to follow Queenan. Sullivan also tells Costello's men that the snitch is at the building. Costello's men breach the house and try to find the snitch. Costigan was able to flee, on Queenan's request, but Queenan is captured, beaten and executed by Costello's crew by being thrown out a window.

At the police precinct, there's a fist fight between Dignam and Sullivan over Queenan's death and Sullivan orders Dignam to hand over the information on his undercover, after which Dignam refuses, has to take leave of absence. Still trying to find the police mole in Costello's crew, Sullivan poses as the new head of undercover operations to get Costigan to come in. A few days later, Costello and his crew are tailed to an old warehouse where they aim to retrieve drugs. When Costello demands it, Sullivan disengages the tails and instead sets up a police ambush at the scene. Costello's entire main crew is killed in the ensuing shoot-out, Costigan slips away; Costello also escapes only to be confronted by Sullivan himself. Costello confirms that he is an FBI informant, after which Sullivan shoots and kills him.

Back at the station, Costigan finds incriminating evidence on Sullivan's desk. Realizing Sullivan was the mole, he flees. Moments later, Sullivan arrives with Costigan's payment, to find the evidence moved on his desk and Billy gone. Realizing that his cover has been blown, Sullivan deletes Costigan's file, which is the only proof that he was an undercover agent and not an actual criminal. Costigan then entrusts Madolyn with an envelope to be opened in the event of his death. Costigan later sends Sullivan recordings of Sullivan and Costello's conversations, with a phone number. Madolyn hears one of these recordings, confronts Sullivan and then goes to their bedroom and slams the door in his face. Sullivan calls the phone number and speaks to Costigan, who met with Frank's lawyer and reveals to Sullivan during their meeting that Costello was collecting information that Sullivan was working for him as an undercover mole, to use as a possible legal immunity if he was arrested. They arrange to meet.

On the rooftop where Queenan was killed, a hysterical Costigan confronts and arrests Sullivan after severely beating him during a heated argument. Trooper Brown appears and orders Costigan to drop his gun. Demanding that Brown should've brought Dignam like he requested, Costigan quickly reminds Brown that they were classmates and that Colin is indeed a criminal and he has the evidence to prove it. Costigan (with Sullivan hostage) gets into an elevator. Later when the elevator stops, backup trooper Barrigan, with gun drawn, shoots and kills Costigan, and then kills Trooper Brown. Barrigan reveals to Sullivan that he is the second mole in the Massachusetts State Police, and that they need to work together. Barrigan releases Sullivan and begins to manipulate the crime scene, but Sullivan kills him. Sullivan then blames everything on Barrigan and commends Costigan for the Medal of Merit for supposedly saving his life.

Sullivan attends Costigan's funeral, where a tearful Madolyn shuns him. Much later, Sullivan returns home to find Dignam waiting in his apartment, who kills Sullivan with a single shot to the head. As the film ends, the camera pans out, as a lone rat crawls across the balcony railing, silhouetted against the gold dome of the Massachusetts State House.