In the 1960's a young car thief called William O'Neal (Lakeith Stanfield) was recruited by the FBI to infiltrate the Chicago chapter of the Black Panther party. His job was to report on the organisation's activities and to get close to their leader; Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya).
America's troubles with racism have been well documented over the years. It's something that continues to shock the world today. Having grown up in Britain I was aware of the Black Panthers and their struggle, but I hadn't heard of Fred Hampton. The same goes for William O'Neal and the work he did for the FBI. Director Shaka King has brought this frightful bit of history to life in gritty detail. Authenticity is definitely a word that springs to mind when watching Judas and the Black Messiah, everything from the look of 1960's Chicago, to the animosity towards the Civil Rights movement and the African American community. But King also manages to keep things balanced, avoiding anything that would feel like propaganda or in any way one-sided. Simply put, it comes across as a "warts and all" recreation of history, on both sides.
As the title would suggest, this is O'Neal's story. We are witnessing most of what goes on from his perspective. Which can at times feel a little episodic; like a highlight reel the movie seems to jump from one major incident to another. The plot is a little messy in that respect, it doesn't exactly flow. Making it hard for someone unfamiliar with the story to get any idea of a timeline, or for how long this all went on. However it is an eye-opening look at the kind of underhanded tactics the US government employed in order to prevent change, and I'm not just talking about their use of O'Neal. Martin Sheen is almost unrecognisable as J. Edgar Hoover giving hate filled briefings in which the infamous FBI Director labels the Panthers as "terrorists". On the other hand, Daniel Kaluuya is incredibly charismatic as Fred Hampton. He has a way of speaking that makes you want to listen. It's almost a shame Kaluuya doesn't have a bigger role.
It's the man at the centre of this story that really steals the show, however. Lakeith Stanfield not only brings O'Neal - who was only a teenager when he was recruited by the FBI - to life, but portrays brilliantly the effect such a role would have on a person. And not just the pressures of maintaining his cover, but the lasting effects of being involved in such an operation. Something we see through O'Neal's meetings with his FBI handler (Jesse Plemons). In the beginning he acts like a rock star, one who can't believe his luck. Eventually though, he begins to realise which way the wind is blowing, and the consequences of his actions. Stanfield's performance is at times so authentic you'd think he'd endured an experience like this in his own life. The actor stated in an interview that he needed therapy after playing the role. What emerges throughout the movie is a picture of a man torn between two worlds, between his own future and that of the African American community. No matter how you feel about William O'Neal and his actions, you will undoubtedly empathise with him in some way, and it's entirely down to Stanfield's magnificent performance.
A tad episodic in places, but some brilliant performances help to tell the story of this dark moment in America's history.
7.5/10
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