SummaryFBI 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 poli... Read More
Directed By:Shaka King
Written By:Will Berson, Shaka King, Kenneth Lucas, Keith Lucas
Judas and the Black Messiah
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
84
User score
Generally Favorable
7.4
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
84
94% Positive
46 Reviews
46 Reviews
6% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Feb 12, 2021
100
Filled with Oscar-worthy performances, Judas and the Black Messiah puts a nostalgic lens on a modern-day struggle.
Feb 1, 2021
91
Black Messiah's center of gravity has to be a Hampton you can't look away from, and Kaluuya — alternately raw, tender, and incendiary — duly electrifies every scene he's in. Righteous as the road may be, his Fred hasn't been flattened to fit the broad Wikipedia-worn contours of a martyr or a hero; he lives and breathes, down to the last indelible frame.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.4
79% Positive
214 Ratings
214 Ratings
11% Mixed
30 Ratings
30 Ratings
10% Negative
27 Ratings
27 Ratings
Jun 3, 2023
10
Rating: 100 (Masterpiece) Full Film Review:
Judas and The Black Messiah is a powerful film. The whole film is perfect. From the incredible directing from Shaka King, The amazingly well written story and dialogue, the stunning cinematography, and the phenomenal performances from both actors LaKeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya this film is perfect.
Jan 30, 2022
10
- Reseña en Español - Quizás no te atrapa mucho al principio, pero conforme avanza, logra generarte una presión enorme y la convierte en la película mas densa de la representación de la revolución de los años 60s. Tanto la calidad de actuación como de dirección va aumentando va creciendo el desarrollo de la película, hasta culminar en una conclusión que te afecta por muchos días (más si desconoces el desenlace de esta historia real).
Cada participación logra robarse sus escenas, pero sin duda Daniel Kaluuya y Lakeith Stanfield muestran una actuación maestral en sus papeles. Respecto al guion, tiene una fluidez consistente pero difícil de digerir por momentos, a pesar de su duración de mas de dos horas, tiene un balance entre el desarrollo rápido y el lento, y este podría ser un punto negativo para algunas personas.
La cinematografía es bastante bella y arriesgada, lo cual demuestra la impecable dirección de Shaka King para este drama político que, a pesar de haber pasado mas de 50 años, este problema se encuentra vigente al día de hoy lamentablemente. - Review in English - Maybe it doesn't catch you very much at first, but as it progresses, it manages to generate enormous pressure and makes it the densest film of the representation of the revolution of the 60s. Both the quality of acting and direction increases as the film develops, culminating in a conclusion that affects you for many days (even more so if you don't know the outcome of this true story).
Each participation manages to steal their scenes, but without a doubt Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield show a masterful performance in their roles. Regarding the script, it has a consistent flow but is difficult to digest at times, despite its duration of more than two hours, it has a balance between fast and slow development, and this could be a negative point for some people.
The cinematography is quite beautiful and risky, which demonstrates Shaka King's impeccable direction for this political drama that, despite having spent more than 50 years, unfortunately this problem is still in force today.
Feb 11, 2021
88
A potent and vividly acted drama about the FBI’s subversion and assassination of Chicago Black Panther leader Fred Hampton.
Mar 16, 2021
80
It’s a credit to Stanfield that he manages to keep these complex contradictions alive throughout his performance, capturing perfectly the uneasy manner that O’Neal exhibited on camera, his eyes darting anxiously as he attempts to read his surroundings, his manner a mix of fearful, furtive and oddly forceful.
Feb 1, 2021
80
Judas is an explosion of pent-up plotting, as if the film industry itself would only have this one chance to make a film about the Panther movement and it all has to be told in one go. Hopefully, this is not to be the case. As this film rises up to an unthinkable conclusion, there is clearly so much more to tell, and, as always, to learn.
Feb 3, 2021
75
In a banner year for African American representation in front of and behind the camera, King looks like a filmmaker who will get more trips to the plate, more chances to touch’em all. Stanfield is already a rising star and in-demand talent. And after his Messianic turn here, Kaluuya’s star is in the ascent and his phone — if there’s any justice in Hollywood — has to be ringing off the hook. He lets us see what his contemporaries saw in Hampton, and he makes us wonder just who he might have become.
Feb 4, 2021
40
Judas and the Black Messiah is missing that deeper personal aspect, some sense of the emotional force yoking O’Neal and Hampton together, dragging them toward ruin. The film is resonant regardless. Still, there’s such an opportunity presented here—to see these two sterling actors really working in harmony—that goes frustratingly unseized. As is, Judas and the Black Messiah is richer and more engaging than a standard biopic, but is not quite the Shakespearean tragedy of double allegiances and backstabbing that it could have been.
Jan 11, 2022
10
Great movie with historical background. I like the most, that the movie is from the perspective of an informant, the Judas. It was very interesting to see the background how the state was infiltrating the Black Panthers. Grat performance by Daniel Kaluuya as Fred Hampton.
Feb 11, 2024
5
A British actor, DK speaks with a nearly-incomprehensible American accent the entire film. Stop casting UK actors in US roles! The rest is milquetoast The Departed. If this film were released ten years before or after, critics would rightly give this uninvolving drama the mediocre reviews it deserves.
May 14, 2021
5
(Mauro Lanari)
The best parts are those that avoid the black and white (!) of militant polarization by pointing out contradictions and ambiguities (already the very etymology of revolution, public and private, collectivism and individualism, war and motherhood, populism and charismatic leadership, Christology and atheist/immanent/materialist utopia), but they are not numerous enough.
Mar 10, 2021
1
Over exaggerated aimed at creating more tension, acting was mediocre, charecters lacked real development outside of anger and bs
Apr 17, 2021
0
Leftist propaganda. You don't bring people together, segregating. For them, this is not about equality; its about power. If they use movies and media was weapons, I automatically boycott.
Production Company:
- BRON Studios
- Bron Creative
- Macro
- Participant
- Proximity Media
Release Date:Feb 12, 2021
Duration:2 h 6 m
Rating:R
Tagline:You can kill a revolutionary but you can't kill the revolution.
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 2 Wins & 6 Nominations
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Black Reel Awards
• 3 Wins & 12 Nominations
