Not only is Judas and the Black Messiah remarkable – here are the perfect films to partner it with…
On Black History Month, JATBM brings another fascinating slice of lesser-known African-American history, told in extraordinary fashion by a Black filmmaker.
It charts the brief leadership of revolutionary Black Panther Party chairman Fred Hampton, told through the eyes of William O’Neal, the informant who helped the FBI to egregiously bring him down in his prime.
While the film doesn’t shy away from some of the movement’s ugly side, the BPP is shown as it rarely is: feeding hungry children, setting up community clinics and reaching out to poor whites and latinos in the civil rights fight.
Amid a vast and excellent cast, Daniel Kaluuya is an instant awards frontrunner as he brings the passionate Hampton and his speeches to life with iconic charisma. This is a gripping, ambitious and superbly-executed glimpse into the power and some of the many heartbreaks of that struggle.
Verdict – 8/10
Like any great historical movie, JATBM is likely to make you want more. Make it a trio with these:
MLK/FBI / The FBI’s disturbing obsession with Black civil rights leaders is brought into stark and shocking focus when it comes to the despicable level of surveillance of the biggest icon of them all, Martin Luther King Jr, revealed in recently declassified documents.
(Its director Sam Pollard worked on the PBS documentary Eyes On The Prize 2 in which O’Neal was originally interviewed – also worth chasing out.)
The Trial of the Chicago 7 / A double-edged companion piece. Celebrated screenwriter Aaron Sorkin tackles an overlapping moment of the 1960s anti-war movement, with a small role for Hampton and the Black Panthers. With his traditional quickfire dialogue and courtroom drama beats, it’s entertaining and smart – but also limited and self-satisfied. It shows why new voices like JATBM director Shaka King’s are so important.
Alternatively, if you enjoy LaKeith Stanfield’s performance as O’Neal, and the quirky tone of his breakout role in the series Atlanta, Sorry to Bother You is definitely worth a look. A refreshingly bizarre, thought-provoking and often hilarious dark fable about our absurd society.
MS