Judas and the Black Messiah

Name: Judas and the Black Messiah
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Released: February 12, 2021
Duration: 126 min
Rating: 86
Cast: Algee Smith, Ashton Sanders, Daniel Kaluuya, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Dominique Fishback

2021

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 47 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 103 Ratings

See All

7.7

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

7.7	Your Score
7.7	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 103 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

Judas And The Black Messiah (Trailer 2)

Now Playing: Judas And The Black Messiah (Trailer 2)

Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: February 12, 2021 | R

Starring: Algee Smith, Ashton Sanders, Daniel Kaluuya, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Dominique Fishback, Dominique Thorne, Jermaine Fowler, Jesse Plemons, Lakeith Stanfield, LilRel Howery, Martin Sheen, Robert Longstreet, Terayle Hill

Summary: FBI informant William O’Neal (LaKeith Stanfield) infiltrates the Illinois Black Panther Party and is tasked with keeping tabs on their charismatic leader, Chairman Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya). A career thief, O’Neal revels in the danger of manipulating both his comrades and his handler, Special Agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons).FBI informant William O’Neal (LaKeith Stanfield) infiltrates the Illinois Black Panther Party and is tasked with keeping tabs on their charismatic leader, Chairman Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya). A career thief, O’Neal revels in the danger of manipulating both his comrades and his handler, Special Agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons). Hampton’s political prowess grows just as he’s falling in love with fellow revolutionary Deborah Johnson (Dominique Fishback). Meanwhile, a battle wages for O’Neal’s soul. Will he align with the forces of good? Or subdue Hampton and The Panthers by any means, as FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover (Martin Sheen) commands?
… Expand

Director: Shaka King

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, History

Rating: R

Runtime: 126 min

See All Details and Credits

Watch Now

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

100

Okla Jones

Feb 12, 2021

Filled with Oscar-worthy performances, Judas and the Black Messiah puts a nostalgic lens on a modern-day struggle. Read full review

100

Ann Hornaday

Feb 10, 2021

This is a throwback movie in the best sense of the term, asking the audience to consider the not-too-distant past of anti-Black racism as prologue to its similarly murderous present. It’s also a return to a brand of muscular, serious-minded filmmaking that has been virtually forgotten in recent years. Read full review

ABC Peter Travers

Feb 12, 2021

Shaka King’s powerhouse about the 1969 murder of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton (an Oscar-worthy Daniel Kaluuya) by the Chicago police with the help of an FBI informer (Lakeith Stanfield) is a new movie classic that speaks to the toxic racism of its time and ours. Read full review

The Film Stage John Fink

Feb 2, 2021

Despite a few missteps including its ambiguous treatment of female comrades in the film’s first two acts––including Hampton’s all-too-brief courtship with Debrah Johnson (played by Dominique Fishback)––Judas and the Black Messiah is mostly an uncompromising and riveting character study exploring power and oppression. Read full review

Kevin Harley

Feb 2, 2021

Between its genre know-how and furious anger, King’s biopic makes damn sure you feel the weight of Hampton’s loss – and the need for his legacy to be honoured. Read full review

The Guardian Peter Bradshaw

Feb 1, 2021

It’s a powerful tale of human frailty. Read full review

Mae Abdulbaki

Feb 25, 2021

The film has its fair share of intoxicatingly gripping moments and watching Kaluuya as Hampton is visceral and empowering. Unfortunately, it never feels like the story gets out of its own way enough to flourish, nor does it explore the complexities needed to emphasize and humanize the characters in the way that it should. Read full review

SEE ALL 47 REVIEWS

Write a Review

User Reviews

Smithyp

Feb 17, 2021

Literally left me speechless out of respect from all angles of history and story telling this is a great great movie - finally!

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

J_G2021

Feb 12, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Masterpiece alert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!+!++++++!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

RatedRex

Feb 12, 2021

Best film of the year. This is yet another example of how the American government kelp its knee on the throats of Black people. This is a great cinematic achievement.

Please note: Some of the folks who give this movie a negative rating are the usual bigots who go from movie site to movieBest film of the year. This is yet another example of how the American government kelp its knee on the throats of Black people. This is a great cinematic achievement.

Please note: Some of the folks who give this movie a negative rating are the usual bigots who go from movie site to movie site determined to undermine Black movies. In most cases, these bigots haven't even seen the movie and never will. This has been happening for about 8-10 years.… Expand

4 of 5 users found this helpful41

JS21

Feb 13, 2021

Judas and the Black Messiah is a remarkable storytelling about Fred Hampton and William O'Neal with a riveting performance by Daniel Kaluuya, outstanding cinematography by Sean Bobbit, a great ensemble work and a good soundtrack. If Warner did a better job by promoting more the movie, ItJudas and the Black Messiah is a remarkable storytelling about Fred Hampton and William O'Neal with a riveting performance by Daniel Kaluuya, outstanding cinematography by Sean Bobbit, a great ensemble work and a good soundtrack. If Warner did a better job by promoting more the movie, It could really be a strong contender getting nominations for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Editing, Best Cinematography and Best Original Song.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

mrmonster

Feb 12, 2021

While the movie sometimes gets bogged down by pacing issues, it more than makes up for it with gun punch drama and phenomenal performances, especially Daniel Kaluuya.

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

megomike

Feb 15, 2021

Judas and the Black Messiah is a look into the lives of Fred Hampton, Chairman of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panthers, and Bill O’Neal, the man who betrays him to the FBI. Judas shows us the charisma of Hampton, leading both through inspiration and politics, to become the symbol ofJudas and the Black Messiah is a look into the lives of Fred Hampton, Chairman of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panthers, and Bill O’Neal, the man who betrays him to the FBI. Judas shows us the charisma of Hampton, leading both through inspiration and politics, to become the symbol of power and strength suddenly feared by white government. As his star rises, the fortunes of Bill O’Neal fall, and he becomes entrenched in the schemes against the Black Panther movement and a plot to silence the growing influence of Hampton. Judas illustrates the rise and fall of Gods and Monsters, in an era where normal men were both, largely by circumstance. Judas and the Black Messiah is written by Kenny and Keith Lucas (21 Jump Street), written and also directed by Shaka King (Newlyweeds, Mulignans). It Stars Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Black Panther) as Chairman Fred Hampton of the Illinois Black Panthers, and LaKeith Stanfield (Knives Out, Selma) as his duplicitous Chief of Security Bill O’Neal. Other notables include Jesse Plemons (The Irishman, Game Night) as FBI Agent Roy Mitchell, Dominique Fishback (Project Power) as Deborah, Algee Smith (Detroit) as Jake, Darrell Britt-Gibson (Three Billboards) as Bobby Rush, and a disturbingly supremist J. Edgar Hoover portrayed by Martin Sheen. The Trial of the Chicago 7 identifies Hampton as Bobby Seale’s choice of attorney, largely unavailable for being in prison. The early part of Judas gives us some insight into what was happening with Fred at that time, closing important loops in both stories. Bill’s story starts out in a seemingly simple manner that becomes more complicated. An innocuous barroom car theft scheme soon gets spun into federal charges, putting Bill unexpectedly into the control of Agent Roy Mitchell. With each ask of the FBI, Bill positions himself deeper into the Panthers, escalating his stature to Security Chief, gaining their trust. Ultimately, that trust demands the highest price. This film is about normal human beings leading remarkable lives in complicated circumstances. Each character is delicately painted within the frame of the confusion and uncertainty of 1960s civil rights. Deborah sees the light and leadership of Hampton’s imposing Chairman, but questions the violent nature of his message as parenthood looms. Agent Mitchell devolves from appreciation for O’Neal’s service, and even his friendship, to a cold focus on objectives, largely defined by the supremacist figure of J. Edgar Hoover. O’Neal himself struggles with his ever-growing role in the demise of Hampton and the Panthers, to the point of assassination. But he takes the money, and the guilt that goes along with it. He is an expert in both his roles. The star here is Daniel Kaluuya though, as the larger-than-life Fred Hampton. This is an Oscar worthy performance by Kaluuya, gracefully walking the tightrope between the energy of an inspirational leader, the anger of a man that exists in a reality of loss, and the conscience and gentility of a community servant. He encourages power and action, but not at all costs, and the actor allows us to admire the personality and leadership of a merely 21-year-old Hampton. As a historical drama, and a character study, Judas and the Black Messiah is both socially relevant, and highly entertaining, and I give it 4 out of 5 Stars.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

3ebfan511

Feb 16, 2021

Good, but not great. There is no context around some of the action, so the film feels like it is missing elements, and most of the side characters are never developed, never say anything interesting at all. This film had potential to be...much better than it was, so while I enjoyed it, IGood, but not great. There is no context around some of the action, so the film feels like it is missing elements, and most of the side characters are never developed, never say anything interesting at all. This film had potential to be...much better than it was, so while I enjoyed it, I can't say it was as good as the trailer made it out to be. Great performances make it worth watching and the story of course needs to be told, even if done through the lens of the informant, which, while interseting in itself, is not neccesarily a film about Fred Hampton himself. Overall: definitely worth seeing, but I feel like it lacks context and at times, tension, that should have been there.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SEE ALL 29 REVIEWS

Feb	MAR	Apr
	02
2020	2021	2022