Judas And The Black Messiah came out recently this last February in Black History Month to represent a very important part of Black and American history:  Fred Hampton and his assassination committed by the Chicago police aided by the FBI. It follows a man named Bill O’Neal, played by Lakeith Stanfield, who is arrested and made to infiltrate the Chicago Black Panther Party in order to help in the take down of Fred Hampton, played by Daniel Kaluuya. As the film goes on it is clear how conflicted Bill is in this mission that has been forced upon him, as he witnesses the corruption of the FBI, and sympathizes with the Black Panther Party which while militant and radical, seems to be dedicated to helping the local community, and uniting with other freedom fighters on the side of the impoverished, like the white Young Patriots of rural Illinois, and the Young Lords, a Latin/Hispanic group. Thus creating the Rainbow coalition that is seen by the FBI and its director J. Edgar Hoover, the main antagonist of the film. 

The performances of both main characters, Lakeith Standfield as Bill O’Neal and Daniel Kaluuya as Fred Hampton, are outstanding. Lakeith Stanfield portrays the inner conflict of Bill O’Neal very well and does a great job of showing the audience his struggle of growing closer to the Panthers as he is forced by the FBI to work against them while witnessing how crooked the organization is but having no ability to escape his situation in a somewhat Kafkaesque struggle. Daniel Kaluuya’s embodies the charismatic personality of Fred Hampton very well, conveying his passion, conviction, and ability to reach out and understand the people around him, regardless of color in their economic and systemic struggles. This all creates an intense, interesting and historically educational film that could be recommended to almost anyone.