Review of Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) by Compi24 — 13 Feb 2021

The kind of dramatic retelling of actual events that'll leave you thoroughly haunted as you stagger your broken ass out of the darkened theater, "Judas And The Black Messiah" looks to not only act as a coming out party for up-and-coming co-writer/director Shaka King, but as an artful portrait of one of the twentieth century's greatest struggles.

Completely excelling in either regard, "Messiah" uses an unequivocally talented hand to tell the story in question, sure, but it's not showy, constantly asking the audience to note the filmmaker who crafted each frame and camera movement.

No, here, the filmmaking simply adds to the storytelling, only looking to act as an accompaniment to the film's heavier moments and as an incredible stage-setter for the the quieter ones. However, nothing quite frankly outdoes the work that Lakeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya have put in here; Kaluuya, an utter dynamo of charisma; and Stanfield, a walking ball of anxiety who's honestly difficult to watch at times (and for the right reasons).

Be sure not to miss this one, as its conclusion is a much needed gut punch that's rife with contemporaneous meaning. Meaning we all could use these days.