In 1968, a young, charismatic activist named Fred Hampton became chairman of the Chicago chapter of the Black Panther Party, who were fighting for freedom, the power to determine the destiny of the Black community, and an end to police brutality and the slaughter of Black people.
Fred (Daniel Kaluuya) was inspiring a generation to rise up and not back down to oppression, which put him directly in the line of fire of the government, the FBI and the Chicago Police. But to destroy the revolution, they had to do it from both the outside and the inside. Facing prison, William O'Neal (LaKeith Stanfield) is offered a deal by the FBI: if he will infiltrate the Black Panthers and provide intel on Hampton, he will walk free.
Now a comrade in arms in the Black Panther Party, O'Neal lives in fear that he will be discovered even as he rises through the ranks, and as Hampton's fiery message increasingly draws him in, O'Neal cannot escape the trajectory of his betrayal.
Inspired by true events, Judas and the Black Messiah features an Oscar winning performance from Daniel Kaluuya, in one of the most compelling films of the year.
- Words by
- Joe Harris
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