Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)

Kaluuya’s charismatic, multifaceted performance as Fred Hampton restores the slain leader to vivid life as an orator, coalition-builder, and idealist. The film delivers a searing, honest portrait of Black Panther activism and institutional racism through strong performances and focused storytelling.

Shaka King’s excoriating drama lays bare the FBI’s dirty war against Black Americans through the story of informant William O’Neal infiltrating the Illinois Black Panthers ahead of Fred Hampton’s assassination. The critic praises the film’s flinty moral clarity and the strong performances by Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield.

The critic praises the powerful performances by Kaluuya and Stanfield in this scalding account of oppression, revolution, and betrayal, highlighting its relevance today.

Buoyed by standout performances, this is a spry, exhilaratingly furious and beautifully acted elegy. The central trio of Kaluuya, Stanfield and Fishback are singled out for praise.

This is a nuanced triumph and searing elegy with electric performances from Kaluuya and Stanfield. The strong chemistry and handling of revolution and betrayal are praised.

Shaka King’s vital, heartbreaking film for now delivers a punchy, full-bodied tale of passion, politics and betrayal. Kaluuya’s galvanising lead performance and immersive direction are praised.

The film is an electrifying showcase for Kaluuya and Stanfield's contrasting performances, with strong ensemble and relevant depiction of the Panthers' struggle.

A gripping drama elevated by award-worthy lead performances. The critic singles out the complex, contradictory portrayal of the informant O'Neal and the charismatic, rounded depiction of Hampton.

The film slickly transforms Fred Hampton's story into an accessible act of canonisation with mainstream appeal. Kaluuya's humanised yet magnetic portrayal of Hampton is singled out for praise.

The film is a trenchant and infuriating study of state brutality told through the informant's eyes. Stanfield's nuanced performance as O'Neal is highlighted amid the unsparing depiction.

A nerve-wrenching conspiracy thriller about the FBI plot against Fred Hampton. The critic singles out the sensational central performances by Kaluuya and Stanfield for particular praise.

The film is a tense, methodical historical drama centered on the informer Bill O’Neal and the targeted leader Fred Hampton. Kaluuya’s performance as Hampton powerfully embodies the character’s mythic and human dimensions.

The betrayer O’Neal’s story dominates and energizes the film more than Hampton’s, which feels calculated rather than fully embodied despite Kaluuya’s commitment. The movie excels at depicting the FBI’s manipulations but renders Hampton’s revolutionary depth somewhat ordinary and hagiographic.

The critic finds the film fails to capture the complexities of Blackness or the depravity of white supremacy, with poorly developed characters and a muddled script that co-opts radical history.

The critic calls the film a searing portrait of power struggles in America, praising its nuanced handling of Black Panthers history, strong performances by Daniel Kaluuya and Dominique Fishback, and focus on personal stakes amid larger institutional conflicts.

The critic highlights powerhouse performances from Kaluuya and Stanfield in a confident, stylish film that captures the era's energy and delivers angry, important, relevant filmmaking about a message that matters.

The critic describes it as an intimate character study and propulsive commentary on the FBI's targeting of Fred Hampton, praising the dual performances of Kaluuya and Stanfield, timely relevance, and stylistic ambition while noting its corrective approach to similar films.

Shaka King’s sophomore feature is a radical, impeccably conceived work about Fred Hampton and the Black Panthers that speaks directly to the present. It stands out for its assured direction, classical cinematography, and magnetic lead performances by Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield.

The film is a raw and exciting account of the Black Panthers and Fred Hampton that powerfully mirrors current political divisions. Director Shaka King gives the story gravitas through strong performances, especially LaKeith Stanfield as the conflicted informant.

The critic praises the lead performances by Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield as career-defining, highlighting the film's kinetic style and urgent portrayal of history, though noting some underdeveloped supporting elements.

The critic praises the fantastic performances by LaKeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya that bolster the taut drama. The script is noted for not fully developing the characters or balancing the story between the two leads.

The critic finds it a powerful but uneven story undermined by centering the betrayer O'Neal over Hampton, praising Kaluuya's magnetic performance and key scenes while criticizing the structure and focus on oppressors.