Judas And The Black Messiah Movie Review (2021)

An intense historical thriller, Judas And The Black Messiah, about a man infiltrating the Black Panther Party during a time of turmoil, is a gripping film that never lets up.

There are certain movies out there that, as great as the picture is, you remember mostly because of a powerhouse performance. When you think of Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood, Jack Nicholson in Chinatown, or Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, you can envision them as the film. There are other talented players there, of course, but they contribute to the heartbeat.

Judas And The Black Messiah is about William O’Neal, a small-time criminal who gets busted and ultimately recruited as an FBI informant to avoid the consequences of his crimes. Joining the Black Panther chapter in Chicago, run by the charismatic Fred Hampton, William slowly rises in the ranks of the party as he gets closer to Fred and the other members, all while reporting back to his FBI handler.

This is quite a film. It throws you right into the deep end from the first moments, and keeps you entranced as the momentum builds and builds. There is very little room to get comfortable, and the film doesn’t spoon-feed you information. You are in it just as suddenly as William is.

Daniel Kaluuya is stunning as Fred Hampton. He is magnetic, guarded, and intimidating in a way that makes you intensely curious. I couldn’t keep my eyes off him. He won many awards for this part, including both the Oscar and the Golden Globe. Every accolade is well deserved.

This film is based on real events, and you get to see footage from an interview given by William O’Neal, as well as news coverage and testimonials from the time of the events. Some of the story – the emotions involved, the private conversations, some of the timeline – is fictionalized, but the events of the film are real. Knowing that makes everything feel more earnest, like you are living just over a live wire.

The title of this movie stands out to me as noteworthy as well. One of the things that Fred says is that “You can murder a liberator, but you can’t murder liberation. You can murder a revolutionary, but you can’t murder revolution. You can murder a freedom fighter but you can’t murder freedom.” He was a voice for his time, spreading a message of change, and, after you watch the movie, I encourage you to think about how apropos the title is in reference to historical theology. Props to the team that decided on this title.

Judas And The Black Messiah is an incredible movie based on real history and starring several excellent actors. It is a film that you will be thinking about for a while afterward, as both the softer and louder moments have a way of striking you in the gut, and the last half hour, in particular, leaves a lasting impact.

Runtime: 125 minutes

Motion Picture Rating: R

Languages Spoken In The Film: English

Should You Watch It? Yes

Did I Cry? I got choked up

My Rating: 4.25/5 Stars

Available: To rent on Prime Video or may be available for free on other streaming platforms