Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)
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The story
In 1968, petty criminal William O'Neal is caught in a scheme to steal a car and is offered a deal by the FBI: he can avoid charges if he works as an undercover informant. O'Neal is assigned to infiltrate the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party to gather intelligence on its leader, Fred Hampton. As O'Neal embeds himself within the organization, he begins to grow close to Hampton, who is working to build alliances and provide community outreach. The film explores the tension of O'Neal's dual life as he reports back to the Bureau while becoming part of a movement for social change.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1968, William O'Neal is recruited by the FBI as an informant after a failed car theft. He infiltrates the Black Panther Party to spy on leader Fred Hampton. While O'Neal reports to the FBI, he grows close to Hampton, who is building the multiracial Rainbow Coalition and running community programs. After Hampton is briefly imprisoned, O'Neal rises in rank within the BPP. Following a violent confrontation between the BPP and Chicago police, O'Neal is pressured by the FBI to continue his role. When Hampton is released and later ordered by the FBI to be 'neutralized,' O'Neal is coerced into helping with the plan. He is tasked with drugging Hampton's drink before a planned raid. Despite his internal conflict, O'Neal complies. The film concludes with a raid where Hampton is killed, and O'Neal is rewarded by the FBI. The film ends with archival footage of Hampton's speeches and a 1989 interview with O'Neal, noting his death in 1990.
- First release year
- 2021
- Runtime (minutes)
- 126
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Shaka King
- Writers
- Will Berson · screenplay; Shaka King · screenplay; Will Berson · story; Shaka King · story; Kenny Lucas · story; Keith Lucas · story
- Cast and characters
- Daniel Kaluuya · Fred Hampton; LaKeith Stanfield · William O'Neal; Jesse Plemons; Dominique Fishback; Ashton Sanders; Martin Sheen; Nicholas Velez · José Cha Cha Jiménez; Terayle Hill · George Sams
- Genres
- biographical; historical; crime drama
- Themes
- betrayal; racial injustice; political repression; coercion
- Tone and mood
- tense; foreboding
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; historical; crime; political
- Source material / true-story basis
- Based on a story by Will Berson, Shaka King, Kenny Lucas, and Keith Lucas.
- Reception
- The film was acclaimed by critics, who praised the direction, cinematography, screenplay, and performances. It was also cited as one of the best films of the 2020s.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 96% · scale: percent · review count: 358; Metacritic · score: 84 · scale: 100 · review count: 49; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 87% · scale: percent
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Supporting Actor · win; Golden Globes · Best Supporting Actor · win; Critics' Choice Awards · Best Supporting Actor · win; Screen Actors Guild Awards · Best Supporting Actor · win; BAFTA Awards · Best Supporting Actor · win
- Production trivia
- The film was originally titled 'Jesus Was My Homeboy'.; The film's budget was $26 million, while it grossed $7.5 million worldwide.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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