Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)
96%RT Audience Score: 95%
Awards & Nominations: Won 2 Oscars
44 wins & 80 nominations total
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.
Judas and the Black Messiah is like a bolt of lightning hitting you right in the feels. It’s a movie that tells the story of some serious historical events, but it does it in a way that’s so damn exciting you’ll forget you’re learning something. This flick is a big middle finger to racism and it’s a huge win for everyone involved in making it. The director and stars deserve a standing ovation for bringing this electrifying drama to life.
Production Company(ies)
BRON Studios, Bron Creative MACRO
Distributor
Warner Bros.
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (HBO Max), Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
Filming Location(s)
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for violence and pervasive language
Year of Release
2021
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
-
Runtime:2h 6m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 12, 2021 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 12, 2021
Genre(s)
Biography
Keyword(s)
starring Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback, Ashton Sanders, Martin Sheen, Ryan Coogler, Charles D King, Shaka King, directed by Shaka King, written by Will Berson, Shaka King, biography, box office, budget, reviewed by Namrata Joshi, Wenlei Ma, Mark Kermode, David Stratton, John Anderson, Linda Marric, James Luxford, Brian Eggert, Milana Vujkov, John Beifuss, Nick Boyd, Cory Woodroof, MPAA rating R, FBI informant, Black Panther Party, Chairman Fred Hampton, William O’Neal, Special Agent Roy Mitchell, Deborah Johnson, J Edgar Hoover, Warner Bros
Worldwide gross: $7,478,009
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $7,428,259
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,054
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 810,061
US/Canada gross: $5,478,009
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $5,957,919
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,756
US/Canada opening weekend: $2,027,076
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $2,204,661
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,194
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $26,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $28,277,775
Production budget ranking: 1,180
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $15,227,582
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$36,077,097
ROI to date (est.): -83%
ROI ranking: 1,909
LaKeith Stanfield – William O’Neal
Jesse Plemons – Roy Mitchell
Dominique Fishback – Deborah Johnson
Ashton Sanders – Jimmy Palmer
Martin Sheen – J. Edgar Hoover
Director(s)
Shaka King
Writer(s)
Will Berson, Shaka King
Producer(s)
Ryan Coogler, Charles D. King, Shaka King
Film Festivals
Sundance
Awards & Nominations
Won 2 Oscars
44 wins & 80 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Original Song Winners, Oscar Winners
All Critics (345) | Top Critics (72) | Fresh (333) | Rotten (12)
Gifted as Hampton was with rare oratorial skills, the film on his life also tries to spin magic with his words…
May 18, 2021
Namrata Joshi
National Herald (India)
TOP CRITIC
Impressive, explosive and gut-wrenching.
March 19, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Wenlei Ma
News.com.au
TOP CRITIC
It all adds up to a gripping drama…
March 14, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Mark Kermode
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
This is a film made with a sense of outrage; although the events occurred so long ago, the ramifications that they led to are clearly still being felt in the US.
March 13, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
David Stratton
The Australian
TOP CRITIC
As a political statement, Judas is powerful, a quite relevant revisiting of an American past that, as William Faulkner would have observed, isn’t even past.
March 12, 2021
John Anderson
America Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Kaluuya is terrific..
March 11, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Linda Marric
The Jewish Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Towering performances from the leads remind us that these struggles from the past are vital to our understanding of the present.
March 1, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
James Luxford
City AM
Since Fred Hampton isn’t a name found in the average American history book, Judas and the Black Messiah shines a light on a story that demands attention today, and it’s told with care and substance.
February 17, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
Compensating in visual simplicity and narrative earnestness what it lacks in storytelling flair (…) bringing into focus the burning question of the ways credible popular movements could be corrupted from within.
February 8, 2022 | Rating: 3/5
Milana Vujkov
Lola On Film
A vivid reimagining of history…
February 3, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
The film smartly explores the ideologies of the Black Panther Party and what they stood for.
December 28, 2021
Nick Boyd
Battle Royale With Cheese
King directs with such gravitas and command; it’s not a film you’ll forget anytime soon.
December 14, 2021
Cory Woodroof
Nashville Scene…
Plot
Fred Hampton, a young, charismatic activist, becomes Chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party – putting him directly in the crosshairs of the government, the FBI, and the Chicago Police. But to destroy the revolution, the authorities are going to need a man on the inside.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Daniel Kaluuya delivers a standout performance as Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah.
Shaka-King.jpg
