JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH REVIEW

 *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Since its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in February this year, Shaka King’s Judas and the Black Messiah has been lauded by critics, with many of them saying that it’s an “electrifying dramatisation of historical events”. The film was also successful at the 78th Golden Globes, with Daniel Kaluuya winning Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Fred Hampton. Because of this, my expectations were high for Judas and the Black Messiah.

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. 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 commands?

Judas and the Black Messiah shares similarities with Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7. Both are set in Chicago in the late 1960s and detail the brutal conflict between the police officers and the members of the BPP. In The Trial of the Chicago 7, the character of Fred Hampton made a small appearance and was portrayed by Kelvin Harrison Jr. One of the main characters in Sorkin’s timely courtroom drama was Bobby Seale with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II leaving a lasting impression with his portrayal. In Judas and the Black Messiah, Seale is briefly mentioned. Although both films share similarities, The Trial of the Chicago 7 is more of a courtroom drama and Judas and the Black Messiah focuses more on characters and capturing the conflict between the Black Panther Party and the police officers. While I enjoyed the former and found it to be a compelling watch with strong performances by its cast, I found the latter to be the more impressive and thought-provoking. 

Undoubtedly, the standout aspect of Judas and the Black Messiah is Kaluuya’s performance. At the 90th Academy Awards, Kaluuya received his first Oscan nomination for his role as Chris in Jordan Peele’s Get Out. However, as Hampton, he delivers his most powerful performance. Hampton was known for his energetic speeches and Kaluuya succeeds in capturing his character’s fierce personality. Prior to watching Judas and the Black Messiah, I didn’t know much about Hampton, however, following my watch, I think that the film does him justice and captures why he deserves to be remembered alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, two unforgettable icons who fought for civil rights. Kaluuya’s Get Out co-star, Stanfield, is equally as impressive as O’Neal. Although he’s not the most likeable of individuals, as he lies and provides information to the FBI, his actions are understandable as he doesn’t want to be sent to prison.   The rest of the cast including Fishback, Plemons, Martin Sheen as the head of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, and Ashton Sanders as one of the members of the BPP, Jimmy Palmer, all deliver solid supporting performances. 

With Judas and the Black Messiah, King has created a riveting and thought provoking drama. The director  co-wrote the script with Will Berson and Kenneth Lucas. Together, the trio don’t shy away from the darkest parts of Hampton’s story, including his imprisonment and assassination. Hampton was accused of assaulting an ice cream truck driver, stealing $71 worth of ice cream and giving them to children on the streets. What’s most disturbing about his arrest is that, although the crime wasn’t that offensive, he was convicted and sentenced to two to five years in prison. Hampton’s assassination is where Judas and the Black Messiah is at its most intense. Those who are unfamiliar with Hampton will be shocked by how the film ends. I can imagine that many filmmakers would have shied away from showing the more violent aspects of Hampton’s life, however, it’s obvious King cares about making an authentic film that tells Hampton’s story in a compelling way. It also succeeds in highlighting the racism black people experienced. Although its been over five decades since the events in Judas and the Black Messiah took place, unfortunately, not much progress has been made, with the Black Lives Matter protests dominated the news in June last year, following the grim murder of George Floyd by police officer, Derek Chauvin. However, that’s why Judas and the Black Messiah makes for a relevant watch. 

At the time of writing this review, Judas and the Black Messiah has received four nominations at the 74th BAFTAs, including Best Supporting Actor for Kaluuya, Best Supporting Actress for Fishback, Best Casting and Best Cinematography. The Academy Award nominations are scheduled to be announced on the 15th March. I would like to see Kaluuya be nominated for his performance. I also think that the film itself is worthy of a Best Picture nomination as it tells an important story with superlative work from its cast and crew.

8/10