Judas And The Black Messiah (AVAILABLE ONLY IN CINEMAS IN INDIA) is a hard-hitting fare, based on a true story of the Blacks movement in the 1960s in Chicago, USA. All those who have seen The Trial Of Chicago 7 will have some background about what this film is all about. In fact, a small track in Judas And The Black Messiah also overlaps with that of The Trial Of Chicago 7. But unlike The Trial Of Chicago 7, Judas And The Black Messiah is a bit slow and lacks thrill and punch in some places. It takes a while for the viewers to connect with the principle characters. On the positive side, some scenes are exceptional and the last 10-15 minutes are quite engaging. And the performances are great. Daniel Kaluuya is terrific and his Golden Globes victory is justified. Lakeith Stanfield also delivers a fabulous performance. Both however are older for their respective characters but they manage to convincingly play the part. Dominique Fishback is dependable and same goes for Jesse Plemons. All in all, Judas And The Black Messiah is worth watching for it’s subject, performances and also because it resonates with the happenings in today’s times.
My rating – *** out of 5!