With a star-studded cast headlined by Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah is winning over critics based on the movie's overwhelmingly positive reception. Based on Fred Hampton, a Black Panther Party chairman in the '60, the biopic has already acquired prestigious award nominations before it was released to the general public. Shaka King notably serves as the director for the HBO Max release that simultaneously arrived in theaters on February 12.
Judas and the Black Messiah follows Hampton (Kaluuya), the leader of the Black Panther Party's Illinois chapter during the late '60s. A petty criminal named William O'Neal (Stanfield) agrees to assist the FBI as an informant while infiltrating the Party. As Agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons) acts as the informant's FBI handler, O'Neal goes to great lengths to betray Hampton. Of course, King's movie is taken right out of the history books, documenting a period of time in which the Black activist was identified as a radical threat.
At the time of writing, Judas and the Black Messiah holds a near-perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes, coming in at 97%. The consensus from critics points to the cast's forceful performance, specifically Kaluuya in his portrayal as Hampton. Much of the praise also stems from King's role as director, as he puts a spotlight on a critical period during the civil rights movement with messages that still resonate in the present-day. Many have viewed the biopic as gripping but subsequently balanced in allowing all major players to evolve on-screen. Here's what the most positive reviews had to say:
The strength of Judas and the Black Messiah is that it moves well beyond rhetoric, or even historic reconstruction for that matter. Letting his talented cast lead the way, King has made a film centered on roiled emotions and relationships that are at once fractured and loving.
With Judas and the Black Messiah, King has made a thriller that speaks to history without feeling didactic, that keeps the audience in suspense even though the ending was written decades ago. Kaluuya is earning well-deserved plaudits and award nominations for his work, but Stanfield is the film’s itchy, conflicted center, an antihero torn between nascent idealism and cruel realism.
Though it’s early in the year, it doesn’t feel like a stretch to name it one of 2021’s best films. It may be one of the year’s most important movies, too, as a work created by Black artists about Black historical figures, and a full telling of the circumstances of and people involved in Fred Hampton’s death rather than a footnote in a white story.
Though a bit lengthy, Judas and the Black Messiah is enthralling. King carefully crafts every detail from the costuming to Hampton's reverence of Black women — and Deborah, in particular. The Black women's role in the movement is still often erased in films about this era, it's nice to see King highlight it here.
Despite positive reviews being in the majority when it comes to Judas and the Black Messiah, a few criticisms are thrown into the mix. While most critics rallied behind King's work as the director, some have called out the script for lacking focus. There's no doubt that Kaluuya and Stanfield showcase stellar performances, but a handful of critics claim the narrative downplays the stories of the real-life figures. Here are some of the less favorable reviews:
The director, Shaka King, who co-wrote the script with Will Berson, keeps the tension high, but the film is mainly a collection of sketch-like scenes; the protagonists are given traits in lieu of depth, and the results are informative but unenlightening.
Obviously, the discourse the film engages and encourages is necessary and potent, and the ubiquity of film provides a tremendous platform from which such important messages can disseminate, but when filmmakers do so little to disrupt the medium’s status quo — particularly irksome here given the film’s revolutionary spirit — or elevate the narrative beyond a CliffsNotes telling, they blunt much of a film’s emotional force.
Considering the extraordinary cast and the timely topics on display, Judas and the Black Messiah will certainly attract viewers, whether it's streaming on HBO Max or through theaters. The fact that King's film already has award buzz, including a Golden Globe nomination for Kaluuya, will only increase interest. Titles that acquire stellar critical responses is exactly what HBO Max wanted out of their Warner Bros. streaming deal. Unfortunately, HBO Max streamers will have to act quickly to catch this potential award-winner since Judas and the Black Messiah will only be available for a month after its initial debut.