Judas and the Black Messiah is a 2021 American Biography Drama film directed by Shaka King and the Story by himself, Will Berson, & Kenny and Keith Lucas, based off the true story topic on the drama things and the president named Fred Hampton. It stars Daniel Kaluuya was reprising the role on the film portrayed Fred Hampton secretly a Black Panther Party President Election of Leader with the supported role like Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback, Ashton Sanders, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Lil Rel Howery, Algee Smith, Dominique Thorne, and Martin Sheen. A film about the betrayal of Fred Hampton, chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party in late-1960s Chicago, by William, an FBI informant.
Shaka King announces that film also begin a development works for several years, with both the Lucas brothers and Will Berson writing and shopping screenplays individually since 2014. Berson's version almost got made with F. Gary Gray directing, but, when that fell through, King was hired to direct. The cast joined in 2019, with the blessings of Hampton's family, with filming taking place that fall in Ohio.
Premiere on Sundance Film Festival for the 2021 in America on February 1, 2021. Warner Bros can be changed Rated PG-13 into Rated R due to the fact that using this bad words and black and white screen. It release in theaters and on HBO Max in February 12, 2021 by Warner Bros Pictures. It received acclaim from critics who praises King's direction, the performances (particularly Kaluuya's and Stanfield's), and its timely themes but criticized the most overwhelming supported political countries and its way offensive. The film earned six Oscar nominations at the 93rd Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for both Kaluuya and Stanfield, and won Best Supporting Actor for Kaluuya and Best Original Song ("Fight for You"). For his performance, Kaluuya also won Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globes, Critics' Choice Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and BAFTA Awards.
Plot[]
In 1968, 19-year-old petty criminal Bill O'Neal is arrested in Chicago after attempting to steal a car while posing as a federal officer. He is approached by FBI Special Agent Roy Mitchell, who offers to have O'Neal's charges dropped if he works undercover for the bureau. O'Neal is assigned to infiltrate the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party (BPP) and its leader, Fred Hampton.
O'Neal begins to grow close to Hampton, who works to form alliances with rival gangs and militia groups while extending community outreach through the BPP's Free Breakfast for Children Program. Hampton's persuasive oratory skills eventually help to form the multiracial Rainbow Coalition. Hampton also falls in love with Deborah Johnson, a fellow BPP member. O'Neal begins to relay intel to Mitchell, who in return compensates him with money.
After Hampton is arrested and imprisoned for allegedly stealing $71 worth of ice cream bars, O'Neal begins to rise through the ranks and is promoted to security captain. When a shootout between the Chicago Police and the BPP occurs at the chapter office, O'Neal sneaks out as the office is bombed by the police. Outraged that he could have been killed himself, O'Neal attempts to quit being an informant but is rejected by Mitchell.
Three months later, Hampton is released from prison while appealing his charges and he reunites with Deborah, now pregnant with his child. A BPP member, Jimmy Palmer, who was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries after being shot by a police officer, dies unexpectedly while being transferred to another hospital. Assuming police have murdered Jimmy, fellow member Jake Winters engages in a shootout with police, killing several officers before being gunned down himself.
After Hampton's appeal was rejected, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover orders Hampton be "neutralized" before he returns to prison. Mitchell corners O'Neal into helping with the plan by warning him that the BPP will retaliate against him if they find out he's an informant, and O'Neal reluctantly agrees to help. O'Neal is later handed a vial of sedatives and ordered to drug Hampton's drink with it. The next evening, BPP members gather at Hampton's apartment before he must depart for prison. An allied gang leader offers Hampton money for him to flee the country, but he turns it down and instead orders a trust to be established with the money under Jake's name. As the evening progresses, O'Neal reluctantly drugs Hampton's drink and departs soon after. Hours later, officers and agents raid the apartment and assassinate Hampton in a hail of gunfire. Later, O'Neal meets with Mitchell, who gives him money and a pair of keys to a gas station he now owns. O'Neal attempts to quit again, but reluctantly accepts the money and keys and places them into his pocket.
The film ends with archive footage of Hampton's speeches, his funeral procession, and an interview O'Neal gave in 1989. The title cards state that O'Neal continued to work as an informant within the BPP before dying by suicide. A lawsuit was filed against the FBI in 1970 and 12 years later was settled for $1.85 million. Today, Fred Hampton Jr. and his mother serve as chairman and board member of the Black Panther Party Cubs.
Cast[]
- Lakeith Stanfield as Bill O'Neal, an FBI informant who infiltrates the Black Panther Party
- Daniel Kaluuya as Fred Hampton, chairman of the Black Panther chapter in Chicago
- Jesse Plemons as Roy Mitchell, O'Neal's FBI Special Agent handler
- Dominique Fishback as Deborah Johnson, Hampton's girlfriend and a Black Panther member
- Ashton Sanders as Jimmy Palmer, a Black Panther member
- Algee Smith as Jake Winters, a Black Panther member
- Darrell Britt-Gibson as Bobby Rush, co-founder of the Black Panther Party chapter in Chicago
- Lil Rel Howery as Wayne, an undercover FBI agent
- Dominique Thorne as Judy Harmon, a Black Panther member
- Martin Sheen as J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the FBI
- Amari Cheatom as Rod Collins, leader of the Crowns, a fictionalized version of a Chicago gang
- Nick Fink as Fesperman
- Khris Davis as Steel, a Crowns member
- Ian Duff as Doc Stachel
- Caleb Eberhardt as Bob Lee
- Robert Longstreet as Special Agent Carlyle, Mitchell's FBI colleague
- Amber Chardae Robinson as Betty Coachman
- Nicholas Velez as José Cha Cha Jiménez, founder of the Young Lords group
- Terayle Hill as George Sams, a Black Panther chairman
- Jermaine Fowler (uncredited) as Mark Clark, a Black Panther member
Additionally, Barack Obama announce the film has been adding rest in peace to Chadwick Boseman anywhere. Daniel Kaluuya was been also sad to become a braveously stars, who Chadwick Boseman died in August 2020
Production[]
Development[]
Kenny and Keith Lucas began pitching the idea of a Fred Hampton biopic to A24 and Netflix in 2014, selling it as "The Conformist meets The Departed." While working with Shaka King on a television pilot in 2016, they pitched their idea for a Hampton film, and he became intrigued. Will Berson had also written a Hampton screenplay about the same time and it was in early stages of production, with F. Gary Gray in talks to direct, Casey Affleck and John Powers Middleton in negotiations to produce, and Jaden Smith and O'Shea Jackson Jr. being eyed to portray Hampton. After that version fell through, Berson and King rewrote his script with help from the Lucas brothers.
The brothers got in touch with Macro's Charles King, who agreed to finance half of the project.
By going to market with a great script, two amazing actors and Shaka, a visionary filmmaker, and the clout that Ryan Coogler brought, plus Macro bringing half of the financing to the table with a great production plan. That put us in a position to be partners, so this movie is not purely driven by the studio. That also helped us support Shaka's vision and how he cast the movie and to keep it as authentic as possible.
Casting[]
In February 2019, it was announced Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield had joined the cast of the film, with Ryan Coogler producing and Warner Bros. Pictures distributing. The film marks the second collaboration between Kaluuya and Stanfield, following the 2017 film Get Out. King, Kaluuya, and producer Charles D. King (who provided half the film's $26 million budget) reached out to Hampton's widow Akua Njeri and her son, Fred Hampton Jr., to get their blessing on the film and casting. In September 2019, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback and Ashton Sanders joined the cast of the film, with Algee Smith being cast the following month.
Filming and post-production[]
Principal photography began in Cleveland, Ohio on October 21, 2019. On November 25 and 26, 2019, filming took place at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield. After 42 days, production concluded on December 19, 2019. Originally announced as Jesus Was My Homeboy, the film was later reported as being titled Judas and the Black Messiah before being described as untitled. Kristan Sprague began editing the film in January 2020, prior the dozens of studios being shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York, which later resulted in crew members working remotely during post-production. In July 2020, the film's title was confirmed to be Judas and the Black Messiah.
Music[]
| Judas and the Black Messiah (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | |
|---|---|
| Film score by
Mark Isham and Craig Harris | |
| Released | February 12, 2021 |
| Label | WaterTower |
The film's score was composed by Mark Isham and Craig Harris. It features an original song titled "Fight for You" performed by H.E.R., who also co-wrote it with D'Mile and Tiara Thomas. The Inflated Tear is a Roland Kirk track from 1968.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Inflated Tear – Opening" | Mark Isham | 0:45 |
| 2. | "News Reels" | Quelle Chris and Chris Keys | 0:38 |
| 3. | "FBI" | Mark Isham | 0:59 |
| 4. | "The Inflated Tear – The Car, the Club" | Mark Isham | 1:14 |
| 5. | "Crowns Creeping" | Mark Isham | 1:15 |
| 6. | "We Got a Rat" (alternate version) | Mark Isham and Craig Harris | 1:39 |
| 7. | "How Much Money Do You Make?" | Mark Isham | 0:47 |
| 8. | "Fred Visits the Crowns Church" | Quelle Chris and Chris Keys | 0:38 |
| 9. | "Bill Is Recognized" | Mark Isham and Craig Harris | 2:38 |
| 10. | "The Inflated Tear – Judy Has Questions" | Mark Isham | 3:02 |
| 11. | "We Got a Rat" | Mark Isham and Craig Harris | 1:17 |
| 12. | "We Got a Snitch" | Mark Isham | 1:24 |
| 13. | "Prison Life" | Mark Isham | 2:01 |
| 14. | "Jimmy Enters Store" | Mark Isham, Craig Harris, Quelle Chris, and Chris Keys | 0:58 |
| 15. | "Rooftop" | Mark Isham, Quelle Chris, and Chris Keys | 4:14 |
| 16. | "Rebuilding" | Craig Harris | 0:51 |
| 17. | "Jake Wants Answers" | Mark Isham, Quelle Chris, and Chris Keys | 0:35 |
| 18. | "Gun Battle" | Mark Isham, Quelle Chris, and Chris Keys | 3:02 |
| 19. | "I’m Out" | Mark Isham | 0:33 |
| 20. | "The Inflated Tear – Bill's Past Comes Back" | Mark Isham | 0:37 |
| 21. | "The Inflated Tear – Fred Hampton Funeral" | Mark Isham | 2:03 |
An accompanying 22-track music album titled Judas and the Black Messiah: The Inspired Album came out on the day of the film's digital release, with songs from many prominent rappers, such as Jay-Z, ASAP Rocky and Nas, as well as a posthumous appearance by Nipsey Hussle.
| Judas and the Black Messiah: The Inspired Album | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by
Various artists | |
| Released | February 12, 2021 |
| Length | 65:11 |
| Label | RCA |
| Producer |
|
| Singles from Judas and the Black Messiah: The Inspired Album | |
| |
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 70/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Clash | 9/10 |
| HipHopDX | 3.6/5 |
| Pitchfork | 5.5/10 |
The Inspired Album track listingEdit[]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cointelpro/Dec 4" (performed by Fred Hampton Jr.) |
|
D. Brooks Exclusive | 3:20 |
| 2. | "Fight for You" (performed by H.E.R.) |
|
D'Mile | 4:30 |
| 3. | "EPMD" (performed by Nas) |
|
Hit-Boy | 2:33 |
| 4. | "Welcome to America" (performed by Black Thought featuring C.S. Armstrong and Angela Hunte) |
|
Sean C | 3:40 |
| 5. | "What It Feels Like" (performed by Nipsey Hussle and Jay-Z) |
|
|
4:35 |
| 6. | "Broad Day" (performed by Hit-Boy) |
|
|
2:58 |
| 7. | "Plead the .45th" (performed by Smino and Saba) |
|
|
2:20 |
| 8. | "Somethin' Ain't Right" (performed by Masego featuring JID and Rapsody) |
|
|
3:22 |
| 9. | "Letter 2 U" (performed by BJ the Chicago Kid) |
|
|
3:05 |
| 10. | "On Your Mind" (performed by Lil Durk) |
|
|
2:43 |
| 11. | "Appraise" (performed by White Dave) |
|
Hit-Boy | 3:05 |
| 12. | "All Black" (performed by G Herbo) |
|
|
2:52 |
| 13. | "I Declare War" (performed by Nardo Wick) |
|
Cardo | 2:31 |
| 14. | "No Profanity" (performed by Pooh Shiesty) |
|
Skywalker Og | 2:10 |
| 15. | "Last Man Standing" (performed by Polo G) |
|
|
2:08 |
| 16. | "Respect My Mind" (performed by Dom Kennedy) |
|
Mike & Keys | 3:44 |
| 17. | "Revolutionary" (performed by G Herbo featuring Bump J) |
|
|
3:14 |
| 18. | "Teach Me" (performed by Sir) |
|
|
3:11 |
| 19. | "Contagious" (performed by Safe and Kiana Ledé) |
|
Trackside | 3:39 |
| 20. | "Rich N**** Problems" (performed by ASAP Rocky) |
|
|
3:37 |
| 21. | "Outro" (performed by Judas and the Black Messiah) | Hollis | Hit-Boy | 1:08 |
| 22. | "Black Messiah" (performed by Rakim) |
|
Rakim | 4:09 |
| Total length: | 65:11 | |||
The Inspired Album chart performance[]
| Chart (2021) | Peak
position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) | 32 |
| US Billboard 200 | 12 |
| US Soundtrack Albums (Billboard) | 1 |
Release[]
Judas and the Black Messiah had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on February 1, 2021 at both virtual and in-person screenings. The film was released on February 12, 2021, in the United States, by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film was originally scheduled to be released on August 21, 2020, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was postponed to 2021.
As part of its plans for all of its 2021 films, Warner Bros. Pictures also streamed the film simultaneously on the HBO Max service for a period of one month, after which the film played exclusively in theatres until the start of the normal home media release schedule period. Samba TV reported that 653,000 households streamed the film over its opening weekend. As part as the most film of reached DVD and BluRay will be April 2021 with deleted scenes and director's Cut.
Box office[]
Judas and the Black Messiah grossed $5.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $1.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $7 million.
In the U.S. and Canada, the film was released alongside Willy's Wonderland, Land, The Mauritanian, Fear of Rain and French Exit and was got $2.5 million from 1,888 theaters over its four-day opening weekend, finishing second at the box office behind holdover The Croods: A New Age. About 61% of the audience was African-American and 21% Caucasian, while male/female split evenly and 75% were above the age of 25. In its second weekend the film finished third, dropping 55% to $905,000, then made $500,000 in its third weekend. The weekend following its six Oscar nominations, the film made $250,000 from 951 theaters, for a domestic running total of $5 million.
Critical response[]
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 96% of 334 critic reviews were positive, with an average rating of 8.30/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "An electrifying dramatization of historical events, Judas and the Black Messiah is a forceful condemnation of racial injustice – and a major triumph for its director and stars." According to Metacritic, which assigned a weighted average score of 85 out of 100 based on 49 critics, the film received "universal acclaim". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while 87% of filmgoers at PostTrak gave it a positive score (with an average 4.5 out of 5 stars) and 74% saying they would definitely recommend it.
Writing for Variety, Peter Debruge praised Stanfield's performance and said, "The powerful film puts the current moment into fresh historical context and suggests that ambivalence can be its own form of betrayal." David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "Led by sensational performances from Daniel Kaluuya as Hampton and LaKeith Stanfield as William O'Neal, the FBI informant who infiltrated his inner circle, this is a scalding account of oppression and revolution, coercion and betrayal, rendered more shocking by the undiminished currency of its themes."
Pete Hammond from Deadline Hollywood and Karen Han from Slate both compared various themes in the film to those found in The Trial of the Chicago 7 (released the year before), with Hammond saying that "King skillfully lays out each side of the equation in this raw and exciting account set in 1968". Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune gave the film 3.5 out of 4 stars and called the film "a leap and a bound ahead of the recent Netflix production Trial of the Chicago 7" and called it "brash, narratively risky, full of life and sneaky wit (even if the dominant tone is one of foreboding) and brimming with terrific actors."
Accolades[]
Despite being campaigned for leading actor awards and nominations, Lakeith Stanfield was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor alongside co-star Daniel Kaluuya. Both of the film's primary actors appearing in the supporting category proved unexpected and confusing to the public and awards pundits. Kyle Buchanan of the New York Times jokingly questioned, "If Stanfield and Kaluuya are both supporting actors, then who exactly is this movie supposed to be about?"
| Award | Date | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | April 25, 2021 | Best Picture | Shaka King, Charles D. King and Ryan Coogler | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Daniel Kaluuya | Won | |||
| Lakeith Stanfield | Nominated | ||||
| Best Original Screenplay | Will Berson, Shaka King, Kenny Lucas and Keith Lucas | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Sean Bobbitt | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Song | "Fight for You" (H.E.R., Dernst Emile II and Tiara Thomas) | Won | |||
| African-American Film Critics Association Awards | April 7, 2021 | Best Picture | Judas and the Black Messiah | Won | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Daniel Kaluuya | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Dominique Fishback | Won | |||
| Breakout Director | Shaka King | Won | |||
| American Film Institute Awards | January 25, 2021 | Top 10 Films | Judas and the Black Messiah | Won | |
| Austin Film Critics Association Awards | March 19, 2021 | Best Supporting Actor | Daniel Kaluuya | Won | |
| BET Awards | June 27, 2021 | Best Movie | Judas and the Black Messiah | Won | |
| Best Actor | Daniel Kaluuya | Nominated | |||
| Lakeith Stanfield | Nominated | ||||
| Black Film Critics Circle Awards | January 21, 2021 | Top 10 Films | Judas and the Black Messiah | 6th Place | |
| Black Reel Awards | April 11, 2021 | Outstanding Motion Picture | Charles D. King, Ryan Coogler and Shaka King | Won | |
| Outstanding Director | Shaka King | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Actor | Lakeith Stanfield | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actor | Daniel Kaluuya | Won | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress | Dominique Fishback | Won | |||
| Outstanding Screenplay | Will Berson and Shaka King | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Ensemble | Alexa L. Fogel | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female | Dominique Fishback | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Emerging Director | Shaka King | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Original Song | "Fight for You" (D'Mile, H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas) | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Cinematography | Sean Bobbitt | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Production Design | Sam Lisenco | Nominated | |||
| British Academy Film Awards | April 11, 2021 | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Daniel Kaluuya | Won | |
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Dominique Fishback | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Sean Bobbitt | Nominated | |||
| Best Casting | Alexa L. Fogel | Nominated | |||
| Casting Society of America | April 15, 2021 | Feature Big Budget – Drama | Alexa L. Fogel, Donna Belajac, Elizabeth Berra and Missy Finnell | Nominated | |
| Costume Designers Guild Awards | April 13, 2021 | Excellence in Period Film | Charlese Antoinette Jones | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | March 7, 2021 | Best Supporting Actor | Daniel Kaluuya | Won | |
| Best Acting Ensemble | Judas and the Black Messiah | Nominated | |||
| Best Song | "Fight for You" (D'Mile, H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas) | Nominated | |||
| Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards | February 10, 2021 | Best Supporting Actor | Daniel Kaluuya | Won | |
| Detroit Film Critics Society Awards | March 8, 2021 | Best Supporting Actor | Won | ||
| Best Original Screenplay | Will Berson and Shaka King | Nominated | |||
| Dorian Awards | April 18, 2021 | Best Film Performance – Supporting Actor | Daniel Kaluuya | Won | |
| Georgia Film Critics Association Awards | March 12, 2021 | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | February 28, 2021 | Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | Won | ||
| Best Original Song | "Fight for You" (D'Mile, H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas) | Nominated | |||
| Hollywood Critics Association Awards | March 5, 2021 | Best Picture | Judas and the Black Messiah | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Daniel Kaluuya | Nominated | |||
| Best Male Director | Shaka King | Nominated | |||
| Impact Award | Judas and the Black Messiah | Won | |||
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | January 27, 2021 | Best Original Song in a Feature Film | "Fight for You" (D'Mile, H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas) | Nominated | |
| Latino Entertainment Journalists Association Film Awards | March 14, 2021 | Best Picture | Judas and the Black Messiah | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Daniel Kaluuya | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Dominique Fishback | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Screenplay | Will Berson, Shaka King, Keith Lucas and Kenneth Lucas | Nominated | |||
| Best Song | "Fight for You" (D'Mile, H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas) | Nominated | |||
| MTV Movie & TV Awards | May 16, 2021 | Best Movie | Judas and the Black Messiah | Nominated | |
| Best Performance in a Movie | Daniel Kaluuya | Nominated | |||
| National Board of Review Awards | January 26, 2021 | Top 10 Films | Judas and the Black Messiah | Won | |
| Online Film & Television Association Awards | April 4, 2021 | Best Picture | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Daniel Kaluuya | Won | |||
| Best Breakthrough Performance: Female | Dominique Fishback | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Song | "Fight for You" (D'Mile, H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas) | Nominated | |||
| Best Movie Trailer | Judas and the Black Messiah | Nominated | |||
| Phoenix Film Critics Circle Awards | March 18, 2021 | Top 10 Films | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Daniel Kaluuya | Won | |||
| Seattle Film Critics Society Awards | February 15, 2021 | Best Supporting Actor | Won | ||
| Best Production Design | Sam Lisenco and Rebecca Brown | Nominated | |||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | April 4, 2021 | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role | Daniel Kaluuya | Won | |
| Toronto Film Critics Association Awards | February 7, 2021 | Best Supporting Actor | Won | ||
| Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards | February 22, 2021 | Best Supporting Actor | Won | ||
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | February 8, 2021 | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Dominique Fishback | Nominated | |||
| Writers Guild of America Awards | March 21, 2021 | Best Original Screenplay | Will Berson & Shaka King and Kenny and Keith Lucas | Nominated |