Judas and the Black Messiah (Shaka King) is a triumph. It looks beautiful with its smooth orange light engulfing us in William O’Neal’s (LaKeith Stanfield) turmoil as the man who betrayed Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya), the Chairman of the Black Panther Party in the late 1960s.
Unlike The Trial of the Chicago Seven (Aaron Sorkin, 2020), another recent film which tackles similarly revolutionary figures of 1960s US, Judas does not shy away from the radical politics of its protagonists. Instead, it celebrates the socialist ideals of the Panthers. It’s brutally honest and never panders to a moderate audience. It stands firm in its position that racism is a systemic problem, not just abuse from an outlier group of unruly rednecks or a few bad police officers. It’s more than that, and the film is sure to make this clear, but rather than force-feeding us its message, it masterfully shows us how the world is built to work against our protagonists. It shows us when Jesse Plemons’ character, Roy, flinches at the nefarious way his colleagues at the FBI interact with the Panthers, yet continues to be complicit in their work. It shows us in the way the Panthers become more and more desperate as the police pick them off one by one. It shows us in Dominique Fishback’s chilling expression as her character, Deborah, listens to her partner’s execution behind her. Even the circumstances in which William O’Neal finds himself are a result of the system, leaving him with no choice but to double-cross the people working for his own liberation, and his anguish and frustration are heart-wrenching to watch. It is these details that mark Judas and the Black Messiah as good, but it is the astonishing performances from the whole cast that make it great.
While it would have been exciting to see Chairman Fred Hampton portrayed by an actor closer in age to the legendary figure – at 21, Hampton’s youth only adds to his veneration – Daniel Kaluuya’s performance is one of the best and most powerful of the year so far. He didn’t just portray Hampton as a charismatic, strong leader, but as a kind and vulnerable man. Kaluuya was certainly a standout, but Stanfield and Fishback played their parts brilliantly, bringing their characters to life in a nuanced way. Stanfield made us empathise with a highly flawed person, holding such potent emotion in his face, while Fishback’s vulnerability reminds us of the all-too-human consequences of white supremacy.
Judas and the Black Messiah is a must-see. It’s a thrilling, impactful depiction of a time and of people intentionally left out of our history books. We must keep an eye on Shaka King; he has much to offer.
Judas and the Black Messiah is available to rent from March 11.
Photo credits: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
