Politics is seemingly inescapable in the modern United States. Vested interests are in constant competition for public favor and the people are left in the middle to choose their allegiances. Judas and the Black Messiah is a wonderfully crafted film that resonates powerfully in the present thanks to a personal approach to political history.
The true story follows William O’Neal as he’s ‘persuaded’ to infiltrate the Illinois chapter of the Black Panthers to keep an eye on their charismatic young chairman, Fred Hampton. Pulled between his blind ambition to please his FBI handler and his growing role inside the organization, O’Neal’s story is fascinating in its stark contrast to Hampton’s.
This was a very impressive sophomore feature for Director Shaka King, who wrote the screenplay with Will Berson and developed the story with Keith and Kenneth Lucas. It’s often difficult for films to stay balanced as they venture into politics, but King’s movie has a well-rooted foundation that allows it to succeed in a number of directions rather than just being a “political” film.
Since the story takes place somewhat concurrently with the events of The Trial of the Chicago 7, referencing the trial and Bobby Seale by name, I’ll use that film for comparative purposes. Aaron Sorkin’s Netflix film is politically performative. The screenplay is well-written, the cast is bonkers, and the performances are great. It’s undoubtedly a good film, but it exists as a vehicle to deliver its political message.
King’s film doesn’t shy away from the political nature of the content, rather embraces it, but he allows the audience to choose their own path. O’Neal is the main character here and, while self-serving, he’s essentially just a pawn being used in the war that was going on between the FBI and the Panther party, so the audience is positioned in the middle with him at the beginning. With the Chicago 7, the audience’s side is already determined for them. There’s no gray area. I’m glad King decided to start in the gray because the audience gets to see both sides of the equation and trusts they’ll recognize the wrong when they see it. I appreciate a narrative approach that uses the characters’ unique dialogue to establish their ideology and has faith in the viewer. It’s more reflective of how the average person gets caught up in the machinery of it all.
The cast for this one was fantastic too, with LaKeith Stanfield leading the way. If you weren’t familiar with him before, this role is probably going to catapult his career. His character, Bill O’Neal, starts as an ambitious but self-serving car thief but Stanfield rides the character progression like a wave. Perpetually stuck between a rock and a hard place, he’s constantly on the verge of coming unglued or being discovered and that’s where he shines brightest.
Opposite Stanfield, Daniel Kaluuya continues to impress with the diversity and humanity in his portrayals. Playing a historic, revolutionary leader comes with moments of grandiosity, and he’s powerful in them, but they’re made more impactful by his ability to convey the man behind the message. Yes, he was an important voice for the Panthers, but it’s important to see that he was a lover, a father, and a human being too and Kaluuya nailed it.
Jesse Plemons is great as FBI agent Roy Mitchell and he’s been stealing scenes in his supporting roles for a few years now, so I’m not surprised or upset to see him get the lead in Martin Scorsese’s latest project. We also get Martin Sheen as a very aggressive J. Edgar Hoover along with strong performances from Dominique Fishback (Project Power) and Ashton Sanders (Moonlight).
I was really impressed with this one, even if it weren’t only King’s 2nd feature. It’s remarkably well-made from the top down and has no glaring weakness. I know it’s still early but it’s hard to imagine a year where this movie doesn’t hold up as one of the best films of 2021.
Recommendation: The start of the 2021 cinematic season is off to a great start and you should put this one on your must-watch list.