Judas and the Black Messiah

Judas and the Black Messiah

Bill O'Neal infiltrates the Black Panthers on the orders of FBI Agent Mitchell and J. Edgar Hoover. As Black Panther Chairman Fred Hampton ascends—falling for a fellow revolutionary en route—a battle wages for O’Neal’s soul.

  • Released: 2021-02-12
  • Runtime: 126 minutes
  • Genre: Drama, History
  • Stars: Lakeith Stanfield, Daniel Kaluuya, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback, Ashton Sanders, Algee Smith, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Lil Rel Howery, Dominique Thorne, Martin Sheen, Amari Cheatom, Ian Duff, Caleb Eberhardt, Robert Longstreet, Nick Fink, Nicholas Velez, Terayle Hill, Graham Lutes, Khris Davis, Amber Chardae Robinson, Ikechukwu Ufomadu, James Udom, Jermaine Fowler, Chris Hahn, Raymond Seay, Linda D Gaines
  • Director: Shaka King
 Comments
  • justahunch-70549 - 12 October 2023
    A good film
    A very absorbing, strong and intriguing film about Fred Hampton and the Black Panthers. It's a true story, or as true as movies allow them to be, and it is always interesting. It's its own film, but it cannot help but feel like a companion piece to the also very good The Trial of the Chicago 7. It's history, so you can learn all about it from other sources other than film reviews. It's a large cast and everyone is very good or more than that especially four in particular. LaKeith Stanfield & Daniel Kaluuya have the two key roles and play them outstandingly. Not far behind are Jesse Plemons & Dominique Fishback so incredibly different than she was in the mini-series, Swarm. This is an intelligent film made for an intelligent audience, hence the reason it didn't make a dime at the box office.
  • W011y4m5 - 12 February 2023
    Uncompromisingly authentic.
    I'm probably naive or unintentionally ignorant (for which I apologise unreservedly) but to me, it does seem utterly absurd to consider the very real fact that "Judas & The Black Messiah" translates a genuine part of actual US history to the big screen (& how little I personally knew of it, which I'm ashamed to admit), since the events depicted are so brazen in the severity of their systemic, discriminatory corruption - yet despite my shock (& revulsion) at the truth behind the fictional retelling, Shaka King's commendably strong 2nd directorial debut utilises filmmaking to do what art arguably does best, conveying an incredibly important message to the masses in a piece of work that is both a fascinatingly informative & extremely well-realised feature which educates people (such as myself) to the wrongs committed in the past, so viewers may be conscious of those biases & hierarchical structures (having previously led to the persecution of ethnic minorities), to hopefully avoid repeating the same mistakes again in the future.

    Hence, it's not just your average American biopic; the narrative has a deep purposefulness & meaning throughout, elevated by exceptional craftsmanship behind the camera (Sean Bobbitt's cinematography is worthy of special acknowledgement, in particular), from the editing to the production design & score etc. & Further bolstered by Daniel Kaluuya's unsurprisingly phenomenal performance (seriously, what an actor) at the helm, playing Fred Hampton - bringing his disturbing story to life.

    Thematically, it's sadly as relevant & prescient as ever too, touching upon institutional prejudice & inherited, generational trauma from centuries of oppression etc. & I appreciate the fact that a film proudly champions & empowers black voices - from a community which (as demonstrated) is frequently marginalised & silenced.

    Therefore, I'd definitely recommend people check this out when they can.
  • xiaoli7377 - 17 July 2022
    Great Historical Film
    The performances in "Judas and the Black Messiah" are what truly help it to standout. Particularly that of Daniel Kaluuya, for which he won an Oscar.

    The theme of ambivalence is strong in this movie; with the main character Bill O'Neal (Lakeith Stanfield) having mixed feelings about his continued involvement either working for the FBI or the Black Panthers.

    I really liked it because it shows that many people in real life have conflicting views and that it's hard sometimes to rationalize actions and to keep a clear head and to focus on where your loyalties lie.

    And this is a theme that absolutely transcends the surface layer setting and plot outline of the film. While it also acts as a great biopic and example of Civil Rights cinema, it also connects with that human element of confusion and paranoia that has been hard to really pinpoint and is actually, in my opinion, one of the big sources of hindrance to societal progress. Mixed feelings of loyalty to a cause that suits one's own personal values but at the same time also being wary of their own personal safety.

    Marvelous film but it did tend to lean a little on the dry side with a lot of "Hollywood"-esque historical film moments that kept me from calling this one a masterpiece.
  • momomojojo - 7 March 2022
    Acting quality fluctuated much and many times, like the charachter developments but so much dragg seems like they want to cover most historical events and actions
    The acting is a bit low quality of some main actor is done great job , some moments are not good.

    The scenery is done good Sound is nicely done maybe too Hollywood and sometimes too easy and strange... Actions are abit obvious and too classic Lines are done nicely especially due to the acting from it.

    Some lines are just too easy The characters are developed good especially the main ones but sides are being left abit on the side limited in depth making it too obviously and making it limited in depth of the movie.

    Camera is just too basic.... pity.

    They do drag much.... some scene or dialogues they do not need The story is well made, complex enough with enough actions pity on the transition between scenes.

    It does not really needed the amount of actions but it feels like they need to cover all the history scenes and activities.

    Love the dressing and the subtle evolving The lovely element of blending the movie with reality as good as possible They try to make the connection of the bible story so it become more tangible.

    The ending is nicely done including with the sound and information it gave. It gives the audience time to settle down and slowly closing the movie down.
  • ryanpersaud-59415 - 31 December 2021
    A Solid But Largely Forgettable Film
    The Good: JBM is a sprawling historical epic that manages to truly transport you into 1969 Chicago and follows Fred Hampton, the Black Panthers, Bill O'Neal, and the FBI's (frankly cruel and disturbing) attempts to crush them. The music, the costumes, the set design, and slang are all impeccable. The movie follows a perspective we rarely get to see in film, and I loved how the film took its time in allowing us to see the conflict from the eyes of the Panthers themselves. Does it romanticize? Yes. Does it make sense? Also yes.

    Kaluuya is excellent in this movie. He can convey so much about his character with just a look or a gesture. His performance is electric and one of those period performances that will live on. I pretty much stan Lakeith Stanfield in everything he's in, but and yet again, he shows us why he's one of Hollywood's greatest young actors.

    The Bad: Unfortunately, this isn't a movie I know I'm going to watch again or one that left much of an impression. Yes, it's a difficult watch at times, infuriating, and politically charged. However...it's also quite dull for long stretches of the film. It moves from scene to scene with less connective tissue than you'd imagine and begins to lose steam about 3/4 quarters through.

    There are moments of great cinematography, but nothing particularly exceptional either. The movie certainly looks great, but you'd imagine a bit more flair, color and energy with this particular subject matter and era.

    The Ugly: This is a worthwhile film to watch, but it's definitely one of those "good for the Oscars, but won't leave much of an impression," movies.