Judas and the Black Messiah (of theatrical releases)

Labeled as a historical drama, this film delivers much more than a recount of the tragic events of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton’s inspirational life and brutal murder in 1969.

This movie touches upon so many different societal and ethical issues, I am hard-pressed to find something that it doesn’t do well.

On the other hand, I am absolutely confident in what this film does best - it refuses to compromise.

That’s what makes it special.

Director Shaka King punches you in the mouth for 126 minutes straight, refusing to let up. He has a strong voice, calculated direction, and fierce style - he wants you to feel this film.

And you do.

On the acting front, “can’t miss” performances are littered throughout. Kaluuya’s charismatic Hampton is the perfect foil to Stanfield’s deceptive O’neal. With those two leading the charge, subplots are strengthened by believable, exciting performances from the likes of Fishback, Plemons, Smith, and Thorne. Each actor refuses to keep us at arm’s length, we feel the struggle, the pain, the desire - all as if we are in it with them.

Stanfield’s O’Neal is especially captivating. As the titular Judas, he’s positioned to draw the audience’s ire, and he does. However, Stanfield imbues the character with so much humanity, we cannot help but sympathize.

Yes, we hate him.

But through the writing of King, the Lucas Brothers and Will Berson, we also feel sorry for him, we understand him, and, in some instances during the film, we are him.

Critics often laud historical dramas for their verity to the source material. Which, for the average moviegoer often translates to “boring”. If you’d like a detailed account of past events exactly as they happened, you can read a book. If you’d like an exciting and emotionally stimulating experience bolstered by the spirit of historical accuracy, you can watch King’s film.

That is why I balk at the “historical drama” tag that this movie rightfully earns, yet dramatically exceeds. As the title of this article suggests, this film may, in fact, be the Messiah for theatrical releases. As the credits rolled, I reached across the couch to pick up the remote, it slipped through my hands. My very sweaty hands. I took a moment to gather myself, realizing that my heart was pounding out of my chest. Realizing, more importantly, that the emotion I was feeling was a direct result of what I had just watched.

“Man, I wish I saw that in theaters,” I whispered to myself.

It’s that exact sentiment that studios like Warner Brothers would be wise to keep in mind for its future titles (looking at you, DUNE).

In summation, you simply cannot watch this film with ambivalence, it demands you attention and capitalizes on it.

For me, it is unequivocally, the Best Picture of the year.