Judas and the Black Messiah
2021
**½
Director: Shaka King
Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback, Ashton Sanders, Martin Sheen, Algee Smith, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Lil Rel Howery
In the late 1960s, FBI coerces petty criminal Bill O'Neal to infiltrate the Black Panther Party chapter of Chicago and get close to its chairman Fred Hampton. Like the recent Selma and The Trial of the Chicago 7, this fact-based drama sheds light on another shameful and racist episode in American civil rights history. Shaka King's film is interesting, if not exactly captivating, but it is let down by a muddled script and weak character work. The focus is on the two-faced O'Neal, who seems inadequately conflicted about his role. Hampton, on the other hand, talks about a revolution, but what exactly does he and the organisation he represents do apart from wearing berets and posing with guns? As for the other characters, I can barely remember their names. Although he is too old to play Hampton, Daniel Kaluuya is nevertheless a charismatic presence in his Oscar winning performance. Fight for You by H.E.R. also earned an Academy Award for best original song.
