Skip to main content

Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)

Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) promotional poster featuring Daniel Kaluuya as Fred Hampton and Lakeith Stanfield as Bill O'Neal, the FBI informant who betrayed the Black Panther chairman in late-1960s Chicago.

Plot Summary: FBI informant William O'Neal infiltrates the Illinois Black Panther Party and is tasked with bringing down its charismatic chairman, Fred Hampton — a young Black socialist powerful enough to unite entire communities, and the man J. Edgar Hoover called the greatest threat to the internal security of the United States.

Director: Shaka King
Screenplay: Will Berson, Shaka King
Producers: Charles D. King, Ryan Coogler, Shaka King
Cinematography: Sean Bobbitt
Music: Mark Isham, Craig Harris

Starring:
Daniel Kaluuya as Fred Hampton
Lakeith Stanfield as Bill O'Neal
Jesse Plemons as Roy Mitchell
Dominique Fishback as Deborah Johnson
Martin Sheen as J. Edgar Hoover
Ashton Sanders as Jimmy Palmer
Darrell Britt-Gibson as Bobby Rush

 A header image for a movie review from "Freddy's Movie Review." On the left is a blue-tinted photo of the blog's author, Freddy, smiling while wearing sunglasses and giving a thumbs-up. The text "freddy's movie review" is on the right.
***SPOILER ALERT***

Gasoline on the Fire


Today I'm alone here 😒 — from what I have heard, Krasnaya fell asleep during the film. So here goes my short review. Judas and the Black Messiah is another movie that comes to add more gasoline to the fire. The fire is my hate for the US government, its corrupted agencies and capitalist cronies. Unbelievable movie I have to say, truly unbelievable. I'm still quite furious coming out of this experience, and also inspired to learn more about the Black Panther movement. This is one of the reasons I love good cinema. It opens the doors to books and makes you wanna kill! Just kidding. πŸ‘€

Fred Hampton delivering a powerful speech about the goal of capitalism — a scene from Judas and the Black Messiah (2021).
The goal of the capitalist.

Two Powerhouses: Kaluuya and Stanfield


I was very happy to find these 2 actors coming together. Daniel Kaluuya, who I know from the awesome horror movie "Get Out" directed by comedian Jordan Peele, and LaKeith Stanfield from a grand favorite of mine "Sorry To Bother You" directed by Boots Riley. These guys were both fantastic in this movie. Kaluuya was inspiring and Stanfield played a perfectly dislikable snitch.

Daniel Kaluuya as Fred Hampton delivering a rousing speech in a key scene from Judas and the Black Messiah (2021).
Freddy Hampton πŸ˜›

A Story That Will Blow Your Mind


Throughout the movie I came to think that there was a lot of exaggeration and distortion of facts, but it seems that I was mostly wrong according to History Vs Hollywood. Rainbow Coalition? Get out of here! Fred Hampton was truly one of the most dangerous men to the establishment of the USA at that time — a Black socialist with the power to unite very different people through sheer force of words. I guess J. Edgar Hoover was right in a sense when he said the Black Panthers were "the greatest threat to the internal security of the country." This is an attention-grabbing movie (except for Krasnaya) with lots of style and captivating characters. And this is just Shaka King's second feature! I will definitely be checking out his first movie "Newlyweeds". If you don't know anything about the Fred Hampton story, your chin is going to drop to the floor by the end. I know you'll want to see real footage afterwards, so look no further than the extra section below. All you need is right there. Until next time, I'm forever alone Freddy and I love you.

The moment of betrayal — Bill O'Neal's treachery is exposed in Judas and the Black Messiah (2021).
Cucu Judas, I see you.

Final Score: 91/100 — I got the Feelz. Judas and the Black Messiah is an unforgettable, furious biographical crime drama.

🎬 You Might Also Enjoy:

Argo (2012) Another gripping true story about government secrets and impossible missions — the kind that makes your jaw drop
Historical Movies List More powerful films based on real events that will make your blood boil and your mind race
Drama Movies List Explore our collection of the most gripping and emotionally powerful drama films

Extra: Real People, Real History

I know you'll want to go deeper after watching this film — here are the real interviews and documentary footage that inspired the movie.
SHAKA KING INTERVIEW

DANIEL KALUUYA AND LAKEITH STANFIELD TALK ABOUT THE MOVIE

THE MURDER OF FRED HAMPTON DOCUMENTARY (1971)

FRED HAMPTON INTERVIEW 09/10/69

WILLIAM O'NEAL FULL INTERVIEW

Comments

  1. Bom filme mandei-te uma recomendaΓ§Γ£o.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Check out trial of the chicago 7

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

King of the Children (1987)

Plot Summary: Set during China's Cultural Revolution, The King of Children tells the story of Lao Gan, an educated youth sent to a remote village in the Yunnan-Guizhou region to work as a teacher. Director: Chen Kaige Producers: Xi'An Film Studio Screenplay: Adapted from Ah Cheng's novella with the same name Starring: Xie Yuan as Lao Gan Chen Shaohua as Principal Chen Yang Xuewen as Wang Fu   ***SPOILER ALERT*** Jumping Into Chinese Cinema Blindfolded Hey everyone. So, back in January, the internet had a little moment, and suddenly, millions of Americans rushed to a Chinese social media app called Red Note. I got curious, joined in, and ended up discovering a whole new world of culture thanks to some incredibly welcoming Chinese users. Naturally, I decided to ask for movie recommendations, and wow, they flooded in. But despite all the amazing suggestion...

Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

Plot Summary: In 1940s Shanghai, a wannabe gangster named Sing aspires to join the notorious Axe Gang. His bungled attempt to extort the residents of Pig Sty Alley inadvertently leads to a gang war that gradually reveals surprising martial arts masters hiding among the slum's humble residents. Directors: Stephen Chow Writers: Stephen Chow, Huo Xin, Chan Man-keung, Tsang Kan-cheung Story by: Stephen Chow Cinematography: Poon Hang-sang Edited by: Angie Lam Music by: Raymond Wong Starring: Stephen Chow as Sing Danny Chan as Brother Sum Yuen Qiu as Landlady Yuen Wah as Landlord Leung Siu-lung as Beast Xing Yu as Coolie Chiu Chi-ling as Tailor Dong Zhihua as Donut Lam Chi-chung as Bone Huang Shengyi as Fong Tin Kai-man as Adviser Gar Hong-hay and Fung Hak-on as Harpists Introduction: A ...

The Hunger (1983)

The Hunger is a 1983 supernatural horror film directed by Tony Scott, starring Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, and Susan Sarandon. An international co-production of the United Kingdom and United States, the film is a loose adaptation of the 1981 novel of the same name by Whitley Strieber, with a screenplay by Ivan Davis and Michael Thomas. The film's special effects were handled by make-up effects artist Dick Smith. After premiering at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival, The Hunger was released in the spring of 1983 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Though it received a mixed critical response, the film has accrued a cult following within the goth subculture in the years since its release. source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunger_(1983_film) A love triangle develops between a beautiful yet dangerous vampire (Catherine Deneuve), her cellist companion (David Bowie), and a gerontologist (Susan Sarandon). source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085701/ **...

The Pest (1997)

The Pest is a 1997 American black comedy film directed by Paul Miller inspired by the classic 1924 Richard Connell short story "The Most Dangerous Game". It stars comedian John Leguizamo. The Pest was a box office bomb. The film came in at #12 in its opening weekend at the box office, with a gross of $1.8 million from 1,205 theaters. The film grossed a total of $3.6 million against an estimated budget of $8 million. source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pest_(1997_film) Miami scam artist Pest Vargas is on the run from the Scottish mob and a German headhunter, the mob after 50,000 dollars, the German guy after his head. Pest dons many disguises in an attempt to evade their clutches. source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119887/ ***SPOILER ALERT*** A Chaotic Start to Leguizamo Week FREDDY: And here we have the first film starring John Leguizamo. I must admit that I should have listened to the film critics f...

The Idiots (1998)

Plot Summary: A group of able-bodied adults living in a commune on the outskirts of Copenhagen spend their days pretending to be mentally disabled in public, a practice they call "spazzing." When a quiet, reserved woman named Karen wanders into their world, the group's provocations begin to unravel into something far more raw and devastating. Danish Title: Idioterne Director: Lars von Trier (uncredited; under Dogme 95 rules) Writer: Lars von Trier Producer: Vibeke WindelΓΈv Starring: Bodil JΓΈrgensen as Karen Jens Albinus as Stoffer Anne Louise Hassing as Susanne Troels Lyby as Henrik Nikolaj Lie Kaas as Jeppe Louise Mieritz as Josephine Henrik Prip as Ped   ⚠️ SPOILER ALERT ⚠️ Diving into the Dogma (and the Depravity) Hello dear reader! Today I found some time to write a review on last night's movie, The Idiots (1998...

Forbidden City Cop (1996)

Plot Summary: Ling Ling Fat is a royal bodyguard who specializes in inventing rather than martial arts. When a conspiracy threatens the Emperor, Ling must use his wits, inventions, and hidden talents to defeat a pair of supernatural villains and save the kingdom. Director: Stephen Chow, Vincent Kok Screenplay: Stephen Chow, Vincent Kok, Edmund Liu Producers: Wong Jing Music: Tats Lau Cinematography: Lee Kin-keung Editor:   Kwong Chi-leung Starring: Stephen Chow as Ling Ling Fat Carman Lee as Gum Tso Carina Lau as Kar-Ling Cheung Tat-ming as Emperor Yuen Cheung-yan as No Face's Wife Law Kar-ying as Fat Yan Shun-Yee Yuen as Two Face   ***SPOILER ALERT*** Starting Stephen Chow's Wild Ride Hello plebs! A while back, when I asked for Chinese movie recommendations on Red Note, Stephen Chow's name kept pop...