Judas and the Black Messiah

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Shaka King directs. Sean Bobbitt behind the camera. Craig Harris scores. Kristan Sprague cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in Canada, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 1Earned back only 25% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
• 2Released 5 years ago.
• 3International production across 2 countries: Canada, United States of America.
• 4268+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
• 5Directed by Shaka King, shot by Sean Bobbitt. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 6Original score by Craig Harris. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 7Editor Kristan Sprague shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 8Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield and Jesse Plemons carry the top of the cast.
• 9Marketing tagline: "You can kill a revolutionary but you can't kill the revolution.".
• 10IMDB entry: tt9784798 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
• 11Classified under 12 themes, including "chicago, illinois", "assassination", "black panther party", "based on true story".

The technical file

Cinematography

Sean Bobbitt

Original score

Craig Harris

Editing

Kristan Sprague

Production design

Sam Lisenco

Costume design

Charlese Antoinette Jones

Makeup / hair

Jason Collins

VFX supervisor

Aaron Raff

Sound

Skip Lievsay

Stunt coordinator

Clayton J. Barber

Runtime

125 min · 2h 5m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Budget

$26,000,000

Box office

$6,416,063

Return

25% of budget

Original language

EN

Certification (US)

R

IMDB

Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) ↗

Also by

Shaka King

• 
  High Maintenance

  2016 · ★ 6.9
• 
  Newlyweeds

  2013 · ★ 4.2
• 
  Random Acts of Flyness

  2018 · ★ 4.2
• 
  LaZercism

  2017 · ★ 4.0
• 
  Mulignans

  2015
• 
  Herkimer DuFrayne 7th Grade Guidance Counselor

  2010

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper Wallpaper Wallpaper Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  Behind The Scenes

  Behind the Scenes · Official
• 

  ▶
  JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH - Songwriters Q&A

  Featurette · Official
• 

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  JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH Q&A Moderated by Dwyane Wade

  Featurette · Official
• 

  ▶
  JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH - Q&A | Shaka King, LaKeith Stanfield, Daniel Kaluuya | Film Independent

  Featurette · Official
• 

  ▶
  JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH Q&A Moderated by Rep. Karen Bass

  Featurette · Official
• 

  ▶
  Full Movie Preview

  Clip · Official

Community reviews

What people are saying

• Manuel São Bento2021-02-02
  ★ 9/10

  If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @ https://www.msbreviews.com Judas and the Black Messiah was a last-minute addition to this year’s Sundance, which basically changed every list about the most anticipated films of the festival, including my own. The buzz surrounding its Oscar chances, the remarkable cast, and mainly its important narrative based on true events were more than enough reasons to generate an undeniably powerful hype. When I watch movies inspired by real people and/or true stories, I want them to teach me about the historical moment they’re depicting. I want to finish my viewing sessions and know more than what I did at its beginning. I want the film to be enlightening, thought-provoking, and, most of all, impactful. I’m just a young white man living in Portugal with no previous knowledge of who Fred Hampton was or what he did. The closest I got to learning something about him was during last year’s The Trial of the Chicago 7, but that movie wasn’t even focused on the Black Panther Party, let alone one of his most important revolutionaries. My voice is far from being meaningful in regards to this film, and I will share Black critics’ articles that I find to be worthy of investing your time in reading. However, I do have an opinion about this movie, and I’m in my right to share it. I find Shaka King’s flick to have all of the qualities I mentioned above and much more. One of the best films of the festival, and I’m not risking it by writing it will end up as one of my favorite movies of the year. In all honesty, I found myself struggling to completely understand Fred Hampton's intent during the first half or so. His goals are clear and can be summed up in simply trying to offer everyone a better life, one that was fair and where everyone was treated equally. My issue wasn't in his motivations or beliefs, but on the violent, murderous path that Hampton was apparently inciting people to take - I repeat, I didn't know a single thing about the real story nor Hampton himself. However, Daniel Kaluuya's very first words as the character stuck with me until now - "We're not gonna fight fire with fire, we're gonna fight it with water. We're not gonna fight racism with racism. We're gonna fight it with solidarity. We're not gonna fight capitalism with Black capitalism. We're gonna fight it with socialism" - and he kept developing this idea, which I find incredibly timely. The scene that ultimately cleared my perception of Hampton's ideas was when William O'Neal takes the latter's most famous speech at the end of the second act in its most literal sense, which leaves Hampton baffled and shocked at O'Neal's interpretation of his words. Hampton's reaction, as well as a more emotional moment with the mother of his child, Deborah Johnson (Dominique Fishback), was the click I needed to fully comprehend the revolutionary's desires. This is one of the best compliments I can offer Shaka King and Will Berson's exquisite, detailed screenplay. It doesn't make Hampton a flawless superhero that never makes mistakes but instead depicts him as a human being who fought for everyone's rights. The latter is closer to being a Messiah than the former. The intricate narrative might feel a bit too heavy for some viewers, but it packs extraordinarily energetic, inspirational, chill-inducing speeches that I won't forget that soon. Both Hampton and O'Neal raise sensitive themes that will definitely leave the audience thinking and discussing them throughout the year. Despite it being the longest film of the festival, its two-hour runtime feels adequate and well-paced. In addition to this, the terrific, "in your face" cinematography (Sean Bobbitt) focuses on the actors' performances, not giving a chance to the viewers to be distracted with anything else besides the characters' words. The emotional investment in the characters elevates the well-edited (Kristan Sprague) shooting sequences that left me on the edge of my seat (couch), which ultimately serves as a huge praise to the movie's writing. I left the cast for last. Now, I know 2021 just started, but if Daniel Kaluuya isn't nominated in every single awards show for the respective Best Supporting Actor category, I'll riot. I've yet to witness a less-than-great display from this unbelievably talented actor. Kaluuya is exceptionally captivating from the very first time he shows up on-screen and never drops his level. Lakeith Stanfield is also brilliant as a conflicted William O'Neal, delivering an extremely complex portrayal of someone who has to deal with actions he knows are wrong. Dominique Fishback and Jesse Plemons (Roy Mitchell, an FBI agent) also deserve a shoutout. Judas and the Black Messiah deserves all the hype it’s been getting and some more. Shaka King and Will Berson deliver a film inspired by true events with all the qualities this type of movie needs: enlightening, inspirational, thought-provoking, and tremendously impactful. Boasting what I’m sure will end up as one of the year’s best performances (Daniel Kaluuya), the story of Fred Hampton and William O’Neal is told through an incredibly captivating narrative, filled to the brim with absolutely epic, riveting, chill-inducing speeches and dialogues that will leave no viewer indifferent. Both characters bring timely themes back to the spotlight, hopefully generating a critical discourse regarding freedom, human rights, and equality. Besides Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield deserves massive praise, and I can’t forget about the lingering, character-driven cinematography that elevates every single scene. Final shoutout to Mark Isham and Craig Harris’s unforgettable, addictive score that plays a significant role in the narrative. Rating: A

  Read full review ↓
• garethmb2021-02-02

  Racism has all too often reared its ugly head in recent years with the rise of extremist groups who felt emboldened by recent political climates. As violence leads to protests which can themselves become violent; the perpetual cycle seems unending. In the new film “Judas and the Black Messiah”, audiences are told the real-life story of Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya) who runs a local chapter of The Black Panthers in Illinois in the 1960s. The rise of what is perceived as militant groups in the wake of the killings of Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King has caused increased police and Federal actions which have caused many in Hampton’s community to feel they are at war with the authorities and fighting for their very survival against a system of injustice and systemic racism. When car thief William O’Neal is arrested, FBI agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons); offers O’Neal a chance to avoid prison and earn some money by becoming an informant. Despite his reservations; O’Neal works his way into Hampton’s inner circle and develops a friendship with the man as he learns of his plans to unify the various factions in their communities. O’Neal sees how there is more to the Black Panthers as they feed, educate, and assist members of their community and work to contain more extreme elements that look to make statements through bombings and extreme actions. The threat posed by Hampton draws the attention of FBI Director J Edgar Hoover (Martin Sheen), and plans are developed to take down Hampton and his organization which in turn puts even more pressure on Mitchell and O’Neal. The movie is a gripping, disturbing, and sure to be controversial look into the lives of the key figures as well as the ongoing debates on racial injustice, police violence, hate groups, and violence in the community. Director Shaka King attempts to find a balance in the film as there are moments where party members draw their weapons against the police and kill wounded officers. There are also numerous scenes where police beat and shoot unarmed individuals or use excessive force which underscores Hampton’s stance that his community is at war and this is a life or death struggle. The last time I was so disturbed by a film of this genre was “Detroit” which shocked me with the horrific true crimes that were portrayed and how those involved escaped justice. I thought if as a Caucasian I could be so disturbed and disgusted by the terrifying events portrayed in the film; then they would be truly the stuff of nightmares for people of color. The cast is very strong and gives memorable performances that show the complexity of their characters. They are not simply a militant and a snitch, but rather complex individuals trying to survive. “Judas and the Black Messiah” is a very well-crafted film that is equally informative and disturbing and does what good cinema does best; educate, entertain, and inform. 4.5 stars out of 5

  Read full review ↓
• SWITCH.2021-02-18
  ★ 9/10

  'Judas and the Black Messiah' (a bloody brilliant title that took a while for me to figure out) is a true powerhouse of a film - not just because it echoes the current climate and the Black Lives Matter movement, but for its standout performances from Lakeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya and its fantastic direction from Shaka King. - Chris dos Santos Read Chris' full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-judas-and-the-black-messiah-revolutionary-true-story-of-the-black-panther-party-in-the-1960s

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• 

  MACRO

  US

• 

  Bron Studios

  CA

• 

  Participant

  US

• 

  Proximity Media

  US

Key crew

• Best Boy GripRichard Arnold
• Steadicam OperatorMarcis Cole
• Digital Imaging TechnicianMark Wilenkin
• First Assistant "B" CameraDeb Peterson
• GripMichael Salamone
• First Assistant "A" CameraGreg Williams
• ElectricianT.S. Green
• GripMike Dittiacur
• ElectricianDylan Algie
• Best Boy ElectricKarina Teismann
• GripTori Roloson
• Rigging GripChris Cogan
• ADR Voice CastingCherelle Cargill
• Extras CastingLillian Pyles
• Prosthetic Makeup ArtistJason Collins
• CostumerAaron Ramey
• Key GripDavid Jarred
• HairstylistKimberly Novak
• Key Makeup ArtistVictor Del Castillo
• TailorJada Taylor
• Locale Casting DirectorDonna Belajac
• Rigging GafferKevin Willson
• HairstylistJoyce Gilliard
• HairstylistBernard Williams

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• chicago, illinois
• assassination
• black panther party
• based on true story
• betrayal
• betrayal by friend
• hard
• 1960s
• african american history
• rainbow coalition
• awestruck
• exhilarated

Release history · US

When it landed

• Premiere2021-02-01· Sundance Film Festival
• Theatrical2021-02-12R
• Digital2021-02-12R· HBO Max
• Physical2021-05-04R· Blu-ray & DVD

Also known as

International titles

• Jesus Was My HomeboyUS
• Иуда и черный мессияRU
• Judas and the Black MessiahES
• Judas y el mesías negroAR
• Judas e o Messias NegroBR
• 유다 그리고 블랙 메시아 개봉예정KR
• Yehuda ve Siyah MesihTR
• Jidáš a černý mesiášCZ