Judas and the Black Messiah

Amazing acting n top notch cinematography.

From the beginning and as the synopsis suggest, we as audiences are already informed about the ending but the real deal is the way it happened in reality, that really shook me up man.

This movie aint par with The Trial of the Chicago 7 as far as entertainment is concerned but it is definitely very informative and made me read about the trials n tribulations the African Americans faced. These fellas are the true champions of everything in life.

I had no idea any of this actually happened, so it's great that a film was made about this. This is a powerful film that I would highly recommend.

Both are based on the true story which happened in Chicago in 1968 and 1969, so two movies give the whole picture of what it was like in Chicago in late 60s. Social oppression, protest in reaction, police's excessive force of use, discrimination against the weaker are the words to describe atmosphere around that time. It's interesting to compare and contrast how Fred Hampton is realized in two movies. Other than that, there are many things to compare and contrast both contents and the forms.

'Judas and the Black Messiah' is disappointing that the director could have done so much more with such an important historical figure (similar with 'The Trial of the Chicago 7'). The screenwriting is stretched and elongated. The momentum and the tension have to be built up for December 4th Monroe Massacre where all the powerful emotions burst. However, the director fails not only to build up but also to have a great ending.

P.S. History speaks that William O'Neal is still a weak coward then and now.

When I saw "The Trial of the Chicago 7" less than a year ago, I commented that there was likely a more interesting movie to be made about Fred Hampton. Well, here it is! This film avoids all the traps of traditional biopics. Its tight timeline and electric performances distinguished it from similar stories that wind up feeling like nothing more than historical dramatization. I knew how this movie would end. I knew the basic story of the main character. And yet I hung on every moment. Kaluuya is that good, and Stanfield is that good. More importantly, the filmmakers are smart enough to figure out that this could be a story of betrayal, advocacy, loyalty, and fear...something that transcended one person's story. What results is something both universal and uniquely relevant to the present day. This movie deserves whatever awards it wins.

The FBI, led by J. Edgar Hoover, is focused on taking down the Black Panther Party and other leftist movements. Agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons) pushes car thief Bill O'Neal (LaKeith Stanfield) to be his informant and to infiltrate the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party. It is led by charismatic Chairman Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya) who is trying to improve Chicago and battle the racist police force.

There is an obvious connection to today's events. It's of its time and the present-day time. It's definitely taking a point of view but one can't really argue against it. For sure, it's slanted. Roy Mitchell is the key to finding balance but Jesse Plemons doesn't give him enough depth. He has one fascinating talk about Emmett Till. That's an interesting road to go for that character but it feels like he stops short. He turns into just another callous racist cop when he could be deeper. As for the other characters, Stanfield is the standout and Kaluuya is the saint. Both are great in their roles. This is a very compelling story and its relevance makes it more powerful.