Last Updated on July 30, 2021
PLOT: William O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield), a petty criminal, is recruited by the F.B.I to infiltrate the Black Panthers, so he can get close to the charismatic head of the Illinois chapter, Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya).
REVIEW: COINTELPRO remains one of the darkest stains on the legacy of the FBI, where, under J. Edgar Hoover, agents infiltrated and disrupted groups they deemed “subversive”, namely any group that championed civil rights. The Black Panthers were a particular target and many of the leaders of these groups were dealt with through imprisonment and public humiliation, while others were killed, including Fred Hampton, whose legacy Judas and the Black Messiah digs into.
Barely out of his teens when he was the leader of the Black Panthers, Daniel Kaluuya plays Hampton as a driven, charismatic leader cut down in his prime. A gifted speech maker dedicated to building up his community, which included free workshops, health clinics, and breakfast programs for community youth, he’s one of those guys that – had he lived – might have done immense good for the world. What made him a particular target was the fact that he had a knack for making alliances, including his “Rainbow Coalition”, which included the Puerto Rican “Young Lords” and – most unlikely of all – the white southern group “The Young Patriots”.
At the same time, Judas and the Black Messiah isn’t a Fred Hampton biopic. The main character is William O’Neal, who's a low level criminal that gets nailed for impersonating an FBI agent and then becomes a well-paid informant. Lakeith Stanfield has a hell of a role as the wily but irredeemable O’Neal. Quickly winning over his fellow Panthers with his devil may care attitude (which earns him the nickname “Wild Bill”) he parlays his role into being the head of security, allowing the FBI to pull off deadly raids and costing the lives of many of his friends.
Director Shaka King’s film doesn’t have a huge amount of sympathy for O’Neal (nor should it), with him the Judas of the title, who’s well-paid by his handler, an FBI agent played by Jesse Plemons. Early on, this agent describes going up against the KKK during the Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner murder investigation (dramatized in Mississippi Burning), trying to make O’Neal believe that “hey – we’re the good guys” in this situation, but O’Neal never buys it for a second. He’s in it for himself, although as the film goes on and the lengths to which the bureau is willing to go to “neutralize” Hampton are depicted, he starts to grow a conscience.
It all makes for an intriguing character study, although the film is ultimately more of a depiction of the Panthers struggle during this highly fraught time. It’s shocking how few movies have been made about the Black Panthers all things considered. Judas and the Black Messiah makes up for this, being a pretty epic dramatization, with King’s attention to period detail and sprawling cast impressive. The only one that hits a bit of a false note is Martin Sheen as J. Edgar Hoover, which comes off as one-note. Hoover probably didn't even need to be in the movie. By contrast, Plemons is excellent, but the movie is all about Kaluuya and Stanfield, who are terrific. Dominique Fishback is also really good as Hampton’s devoted girlfriend and fellow revolutionary, particularly in the shattering climax.
It’s a shame that Judas and the Black Messiah isn’t going to get the 2000+ screen rollout it deserves, as King’s movie would no doubt benefit from the big-screen, but given the state of the world today, it’s probably better that it doesn’t sit on the shelf gathering dust. It hits HBO Max (and theatres where open) on February 12th, and is well worth checking out. It’s the kind of movie that encourages a deep dive into the history surrounding the events depicted and hopefully will spark even more films about the era from a black perspective.
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