HBO Max has once again taken the film world by storm following the release of The Little Things, with the blockbuster hit Judas and the Black Messiah. This Shaka King film tells the true story of Black Panther Chairman Fred Hampton, a radical assassinated in 1969 by the FBI, and William O'Neal, his comrade who sold him out to the Bureau. LaKeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya appear as the title characters, giving performances that have already made waves in the award's conversation.
Judas and the Black Messiah takes a new approach to biopics, by instead focusing on the messages surrounding these men, rather than trying to simply tell their life stories. While Judas and the Black Messiah is a singular achievement, there are still plenty of other movies that fans of the film might be interested in checking out.
Sorry To Bother You (2018)
Most audiences know LaKeith Stanfield for his roles on television - most notably in Atlanta - but he's also appeared as the lead role in Boots Riley's Sorry to Bother You. This 2018 sci-fi hit is every bit as revolutionary as Judas and the Black Messiah, though it takes place in a notably different universe. Stanfield plays a telemarketer who climbs to the top of his industry in an alternate reality Oakland, only to find and reconcile with the fact that the businessmen at the top are profiting off of modern slavery. With some strange twists and turns, Sorry to Bother You is definitely a rollercoaster worth riding.
Widows (2018)
Despite being busy with the MCU, Daniel Kaluuya has still found time to be in some major Chicago thrillers. Judas and the Black Messiah is not his first. Widows, the 2018 crime thriller from Steve McQueen, also stars Daniel Kaluuya in the Windy City. Though it is a heist movie, the film is just as entrenched in the local city politics as Kaluuya's newest film. If Daniel Kaluuya keeps this up, he will single-handedly turn Chicago into a premier destination for the film industry.
The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (2020)
Audiences may recognize the name Fred Hampton from another recent movie, The Trial of the Chicago 7. Aaron Sorkin's newest courtroom drama is set in the same time period and place as Judas and the Black Messiah, though Chairman Hampton is nothing more than a supporting character played by Kelvin Harrison Jr. Instead, Chicago 7 focuses more heavily on his fellow Black Panther, Bobby Seale. While the films are very different in how they portray the politics of the late sixties, both add important context to the events that transpired in 1969 Chicago.
BlacKkKlansman (2018)
Spike Lee's 2018 biopic following Ron Stallworth, a Black police officer who successfully infiltrated the Colorado Springs Ku Klux Klan chapter, was snubbed at the Academy Awards but has lived on as a fan favorite. Adam Driver and John David Washington bring this Spike Lee joint to life, balancing comedy and drama carefully. Now, Judas and the Black Messiah aims to garner the love that BlacKkKlansman received, while bringing in a few Academy Awards as well.
The Departed (2006)
The Academy Award best picture winner of 2006, The Departed, was named as a major inspiration for Judas and the Black Messiah by filmmaker Shaka King. The inspiration is clear. Both crime thrillers follow a man working undercover to rat out their partners, leading to high-stress meetings and intense shoot-outs.
Though Judas and the Black Messiah is a work of fiction, it is still able to channel the suspense and thrills of Martin Scorsese's Oscar winner to a tee.
MLK/FBI (2020)
The new documentary, MLK/FBI, directed by Sam Pollard has some clear parallels to Judas and the Black Messiah, as it documents the harassment of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the hands of the FBI. It is already one of the highest-grossing films of 2021, a position only bolstered by the recent success of Shaka King's new movie. For viewers that are looking to know more about how the federal government spread misinformation and ultimately led to the assassinations of civil rights leaders, MLK/FBI is a must-watch.
One Night In Miami (2020)
Another recent 1960s biopic following civil rights leaders such as Fred Hampton, is Regina King's new film, One Night in Miami. This movie takes four friends - Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke - and puts them in a hotel room, a fictional retelling of true events.
In that hotel room, they talk about the fight for civil rights, converting to Islam, and the everyday struggles of being Black and famous. It is every bit as important as Judas and the Black Messiah and has already left an indelible mark on the culture.
Straight Outta Compton (2015)
It should come as no surprise that Straight Outta Compton, the 2015 biopic depicting the ascent and struggles of N.W.A., is the most successful hip-hop movie ever made. This unconventional biopic was praised for its true-to-life depiction of the hip-hop group's rise to fame, as well as for the strong parallels between the racially divided country they came up in and today's America. It is a strong retelling of its time period and a poignant representation of the present, and just like Judas and the Black Messiah it features a performance from LaKeith Stanfield.
Malcolm X (1992)
Malcolm X, the 1992 Spike Lee film, is often lauded as one of the greatest biopics ever made. Denzel Washington's portrayal of the title character spans his entire life, from his young days to his days at the head of the Civil Rights Movement, to his assassination. In fact, Washington's performance is so famous, it has become synonymous with Malcolm X.
Though it's far too early to debate the legacy of Judas and the Black Messiah, it is safe to say that no one will ever be able to look at Fred Hampton without thinking of Daniel Kaluuya's powerhouse performance ever again.
Get Out (2017)
This is the film that propelled Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield into the national spotlight. Jordan Peele's 2017 classic, Get Out, tells the story of a black man who goes to visit his white girlfriend's family in suburban New York, only to find that things aren't as they seem. In fact, he is in serious danger of being brainwashed and enslaved, a fact that Stanfield makes exceedingly clear to Kaluuya's character. From then on, both men have had excellent careers, and it's great to see them sharing the silver screen once again in Judas and the Black Messiah.