Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Judas and the Black Messiah 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Huey Newton and the Noose.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III March 23, 2025

Almost four years after their Blu-ray, Warner Bros. finally brings Shaka King's Judas and the Black Messiah to UHD as part of the studio's belated but welcome commitment to UHD catalog reissues. This is a deserving title for the upgrade as it was delivered to theaters with a 4K digital intermediate and Dolby Atmos audio, and it was even offered that way for streaming on Max. The linked Blu-ray edition obviously couldn't deliver true 2160p/HDR video and unfortunately only included a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix, both of which this new UHD release finally rectifies*.

* - The first pressing of this disc omitted the Atmos track, which has since been corrected. Although an exchange program was promised, I have not received details yet but will update this review once that happens.

For a synopsis of the main feature, please see my 2021 review of the Blu-ray linked above. Naturally I watched Judas and the Black Messiah again for this 4K evaluation and, since I appreciated several of the film's technical and narrative merits a little bit more in 2025, I've slightly adjusted my previous 3.5 rating to a more deserving 4/5. (I don't normally do this, but my linked review did suggest the film might get better with age.) And since I never bothered to plug it the first time around, please feel free to read Brian Orndorf's similarly warm theatrical review as well.

Judas and the Black Messiah 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: These screenshots are sourced from the 4K disc but have been downsampled to 1080p/SDR and should thus not be considered an accurate representation of the film's appearance on UHD. (For one, it's not really that dark.)

This new 2160p/HDR10/Dolby Vision presentation of Judas and the Black Messiah is thankfully every bit as good as expected on Warner Bros.' full-strength 100GB, easily outperforming the 2021 Blu-ray in every possibly department. The film's exemplary era-specific production design can be seen in great detail with excellent depth and a stylized color palette, both of which are bolstered further thanks to its native 4K digital intermediate as well as the numerous benefits of high dynamic range, which especially come into play where natural light and dark shadows are concerned. Highlights abound, from ragged building interiors to textured clothing patterns and even small background details, with specific scenes -- Bill's impromptu vehicle hot-wiring at gunpoint, the cavernous interior of Hampton's initial meeting with the Crowns, tender moments with Deborah, and the comfortable but claustrophobic conversation between Bill and Mitchell in his den -- again standing out for their strong visual appeal and great staging. Skin tones are accurate (even Kaluuya, who's several shades darker than the real-life Hampton) with many scenes offering an effective push-and-pull between foreground and background elements due to contrasting color choices, which results in a film that feels both natural and slightly heightened at the same time. What's more is that compression issues are completely finally wiped away thanks to 4K's more naturally efficient HEVC encoding and this triple-layered disc's sky-high bit rate, as WB's previous Blu-ray occasionally suffered from occasional banding and black crush. In short, it's every bit as great as the studio's other recent UHD catalog upgrades and, due to Judas' true 4K roots, a no-brainer for die-hard fans.

Judas and the Black Messiah 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

This long-awaited Dolby Atmos audio track finally replicates Judas and the Black Messiah's original theatrical audio, standing tall as a decent upgrade from the previous DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track as heard on the 2021 Blu-ray. Truth be told, this isn't the most immersive film but Atmos does indeed add ample support during key scenes, not the least of which are Fred Hampton's passionate speeches as well as environmental effects and frequent jazzy musical flourishes by composer Mark Isham and trombonist Craig Harris. Atmos' object-based surround capabilities obviously yield tighter and more exacting results as well, but otherwise dynamics, panning effects, and the low end are similar. That said, this Atmos track seems to be mixed a few decibels lower so you may have to crank up your receiver a little for optimal results, though I'd gladly take that instead of an overcooked mix with compromised dynamic range levels.

Optional subtitles, including English SDH, are included during the main feature and extras listed below. Please note that the 2021 Blu-ray also included French and Spanish subtitles, which are sadly omitted this time around.

Judas and the Black Messiah 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc MOD (pressed) release ships in a keepcase with no slipcover or Digital Copy, both of which the Blu-ray had. One thing it does carry over is the small assortment of bonus features; they're a bit too short for their own good but still enjoyable enough and covered in more detail in my 2021 Blu-ray review.

• Fred Hampton for the People (9:19)

• Unexpected Betrayal (7:47)

Judas and the Black Messiah 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Shaka King's well-acted and extremely potent Judas and the Black Messiah tackles a historically important story with passion and ambition, serving up an engaging character study rather than a paint-by-numbers biopic. I appreciated it a little more the second time around on Warner Bros.' new UHD reissue, which arrives almost four years after the original Blu-ray and offers upgrades to the video and audio presentations. Both are extremely good: this native 4K production looks basically perfect as seen on this triple-layered disc, which allows its Oscar-nominated cinematography to finally breathe in full, while the Dolby Atmos audio heightens its sonic impact as well. A few new extras would have made this the truly well-rounded disc that Judas deserved, but it's still strongly Recommended for fans and newcomers.