--- title: "Judas and the Black Messiah: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/judas-and-the-black-messiah/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/judas-and-the-black-messiah" critics_score: 78 critics_reviews: 22 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Judas and the Black Messiah (2021): what the critics said Critics' score 78 from 22 reviews: 19 positive, 2 mixed, 1 negative. ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 February 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. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-02-01/judas-black-messiah-review-kaluuya-stanfield) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 5 February 2021. Festival review. 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. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/judas-black-messiah-shaka-king-william-o-neal-daniel-kaluuya-fred-hampton) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 February 2021. Festival review. The critic praises the powerful performances by Kaluuya and Stanfield in this scalding account of oppression, revolution, and betrayal, highlighting its relevance today. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/judas-and-the-black-messiah-film-review-sundance-2021-4125194/) ## Empire Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 2 February 2021. 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. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/judas-and-the-black-messiah/) ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 10 March 2021. 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. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/judas-and-the-black-messiah-review-black-panther-b918195.html) ## Total Film Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 2 February 2021. 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. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/judas-and-the-black-messiah-review/) ## The AV Club — Katie Rife Rating B+. 2 February 2021. The film is an electrifying showcase for Kaluuya and Stanfield's contrasting performances, with strong ensemble and relevant depiction of the Panthers' struggle. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/judas-and-the-black-messiah-is-an-electrifying-showcase-1846176438) ## The Guardian — Mark Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 14 March 2021. 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. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/mar/14/judas-and-the-black-messiah-review-truly-gripping-black-panther-drama) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 12 March 2021. 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. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/judas-and-the-black-messiah-film-review-b1814847.html) ## The i Paper Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 11 March 2021. 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. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/judas-and-the-black-messiah-review-black-panther-fred-hampton-908926) ## The Telegraph Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 26 April 2021. 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. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/judas-black-messiah-review-death-fred-hampton-fbi-assassination/) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Rating Critic’s Pick. 11 February 2021. 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. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/11/movies/judas-and-the-black-messiah-review.html) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 12 February 2021. 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. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/judas-and-the-black-messiah-reviewed-a-drama-of-revolutionary-activism-is-submerged-by-its-sentiments) ## Vulture — Angelica Jade Bastién Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 11 February 2021. 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. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/judas-and-the-black-messiah-movie-review-hbo-max.html) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating A. 2 February 2021. 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. [Read the review](https://collider.com/judas-and-the-black-messiah-review-hbo-max/) ## NME — Paul Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 February 2021. 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. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/judas-and-the-black-messiah-review-2870573) ## The Ringer — Adam Nayman Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 10 February 2021. 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. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2021/02/10/movies/judas-and-the-black-messiah-review-fred-hampton-black-panthers-movie) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 11 February 2021. 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. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/judas-and-the-black-messiah-film-review-daniel-kaluuya-lakeith-stanfield/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 February 2021. Festival review. 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. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/video/judas-and-the-black-messiah-daniel-kaluuya-lakeith-stanfield-sundance/) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 4/5. 5 February 2021. 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. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/judas-and-the-black-messiah-review-cast-hbo-max-release/) ## /Film — Chris Evangelista Rating 8/10. 2 February 2021. Festival review. 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. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/579130/judas-and-the-black-messiah-review/) ## Polygon — Roxana Hadadi Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 12 February 2021. 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. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/movies/2021/2/12/22280556/judas-and-the-black-messiah-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/judas-and-the-black-messiah.md