Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Judas and the Black Messiah Blu-ray Movie Review

Second City sinner.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III April 29, 2021

Shaka King's Judas and the Black Messiah is a well-timed and well-meaning historical drama about the 1969 murder of prominent Black Panther Fred Hampton... and, of course, the events leading up to it. As portrayed by Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out), Hampton can be seen as the passionate, charismatic figure he was during his all-too-short life; a man who accomplished more in 21 years than some do in a lifetime. His story is brought to life in 1960s Chicago, but it's far from a one-man show: the Judas of this pair -- William O'Neal (Lakeith Stanfield, Knives Out), an FBI informant -- is given just as much screen time, if not more. And while this (slightly surprising) Best Picture nominee has a few fundamental flaws, its story and strengths are simply too great to ignore and ultimately make this a film worth watching.

Told in a somewhat fragmented format, Judas and the Black Messiah begins with the arrest of black teenager William O'Neal for car theft and impersonating an FBI agent, which lands the young man in an interrogation room with Special Agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons, The Irishman). The Bureau has been cracking down on Black Panther activity in recent months -- even branding Chicago chairman Fred Hampton as Public Enemy #1 -- which puts O'Neal in a unique position to dodge prison time: he'll infiltrate the chapter, provide information to bring them down from the inside, and even pocket some extra money in the process. It's not long before O'Neal makes his way in and climbs the ranks to security captain, with his hot temper and passionate demeanor even earning him the nickname "Wild Bill".

Bill's new identity is met with skepticism by some, including tough young Panther Judy Harmon (Dominique Thorne, If Beale Street Could Talk) and a Chicago Crowns gang member who recognizes him as a car thief, but he's nonetheless able to earn the trust of his fellow comrades including Hampton himself, who is hard at work unifying rival gangs for what ultimately becomes the Rainbow Coalition while finding a kindred sprit in Deborah Johnson (Dominique Fishback) and even facing a short prison sentence on bogus charges. But, of course, the primary concern of Judas and the Black Messiah is Bill's dual identity as he struggles with maintaining loyalty to the Bureau, headed by director J. Edgar Hoover (Martin Sheen), as he desperately needs their money and pardoning power. Things get even more complicated when another informant is brutally tortured and killed by a rival Black Panther security captain, with Bill's guilt eating away at him as he attempts to keep both sides at bay. Quitting, according to Mitchell, is simply out of the question.

Inarguably, Judas and the Black Messiah is a passionately made film with a provocative story at its core, one that's sadly not taught in most public schools but whose main themes are at the very heart of America's current unrest with police and the government. The joint lead performances by Lakeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya are simply off the charts, with each actor digging deep to create effective, engaging characters. Other supporting actors leave a great impression too, including Dominique Fishback and Dominique Thorne. But the film comes up short elsewhere: most of their fellow Panthers are given precious little attention and some members seem almost interchangeable, with several twists and turns registering weakly due to a lack of weight and unique character development. The FBI and especially the Chicago police are likewise portrayed as an almost cartoonishly villainous entity... which might be more than partially accurate under the circumstances, but considering the film's otherwise sympathetic treatment of its primary characters (including, of course, Judas himself) it's a disappointing oversight in this otherwise balanced drama. Fundamentally, Judas and the Black Messiah also struggles with pacing, with portions of its fractured presentation style generating unnecessary confusion that's further exacerbated by those weak supporting characters.

But during its best moments Judas and the Black Messiah is very effective, with the weight of its lead performances and core story providing enough momentum to propel it through less impressive stretches. Although I feel like the film's message -- not its overall quality -- earned it the Best Picture nomination, unlike others in that category it might age better than expected, with its (sadly) still-relevant message striking an eerily similar chord to the endless barrage of like-minded murders littering American news headlines on a regular basis. Warner Bros.' Blu-ray offers decent but not exemplary support, with a few curious shortcomings standing in the way of a definitive presentation.

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

The elephant in the room here is Judas and the Black Messiah's lack of a 4K option, as the film was presented in that resolution during its availability on HBO Max through March 14 of this year. And while I'm not one to penalize any Blu-ray disc for a studio's short-sighted decision, it's quite obvious that this movie would look that much better in 2160p with HDR enhancement. But this is still a very good-looking transfer, as Judas and the Black Messiah's exemplary era-specific production design can still be seen in great detail with excellent depth and a stylized color palette. Highlights abound, from ragged building interiors to textured clothing patterns and even small background details, with specific scenes -- Bill's impromptu car 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 -- 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. Compression artifacts are few and far between, though a handful of scenes exhibit mild banding and black crush. Overall, though, it's a fine presentation that, given Judas and the Black Messiah's documentary-style approach to the subject matter, gets the job done.

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

More egregiously, Judas and the Black Messiah was also presented in Dolby Atmos during its run on HBO Max -- a format regularly featured on Warner Bros. Blu-rays, but not this one. Nonetheless, its default DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix is a capable substitute, with excellent channel placement and punchy separation during the film's most volatile moments. Dialogue is cleanly recorded for the most part, although Kaluuya's spot-on imitation of Hampton's staggered speech pattern makes the disc's optional English SDH subtitles almost mandatory for first-time viewers. The original score by Mark Isham and Craig Harris offers more than a few effective moments of support, although one discordant theme that blares just after the film's opening credits (and repeated at least once later) is quite possibly one of the most off-putting pieces of music I've heard in recent memory. Still, the bulk of this mix sports a more pleasing dynamic range, with only a few volume balancing issues getting in the way of a remote-free listening experience.

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

This one-disc release ships in an eco-friendly keepcase with terrific cover art and a matching matte-finished slipcover. On-board bonus features are disappointingly slim but at least cover a few of the basics.

• Fred Hampton for the People (9:19) - This short overview of the central figure's legacy features comments from cast and crew members including director Shaka King, producer Ryan Coogler, co-writers Kenny and Keith Lucas, and actors Lakeith Stanfield, Daniel Kaluuya, Jesse Plemons, and Dominique Fishback.

• Unexpected Betrayal (7:47) - Alternately, this piece sheds more light on William O'Neal, who committed suicide on the same day an interview with him aired as part of PBS' Eyes on the Prize II. (That same interview was partially re-created during the main feature and its real-life counterpart appears briefly at the end.)

Judas and the Black Messiah 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. While some of its weaker supporting performances and a few pacing issues distract from the film's obvious strengths, it's still a largely effective drama that might just get better with age. Warner Bros.' Blu-ray offers a respectable A/V presentation and two short but appreciated bonus features, but the lack of a 4K option -- and perhaps more egregiously, Dolby Atmos audio -- unfortunately doesn't match the treatment usually given to a recent Best Picture nominee. This one is still recommended, even as a blind buy, due to the strength of its primary cast and subject matter.