Judas and the Black Messiah is a drama based on true events but also a solid, energetic crime drama along the lines of The Departed. It’s nice to get a work of historical fact that plays like a serious suspense crime drama without going preachy. Though, that said, it is dealing with heavy themes as a retelling of a dark part of the history of the Black Panther party. So the message is there, it’s just well cushioned.

Set in the 1960s, the film is about a car thief who gets caught and converted into an informant for the FBI. They need him to go undercover with the Black Panthers and report back to them. It seems J. Edgar Hoover is afraid of a new black messiah after the deaths of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Will the new secret Judas betray the Panthers or will he turn on the FBI? I guess if you know history, you know the answer.

The Panther leader in question is played with ferocity by Daniel Kaluuya and he’s terrific. His impassioned Black Panther leaves no doubt about his politics and his call to revolution… which is one pretty great thing about the film. It doesn’t white-wash the history of the era. The FBI, lead by a J. Edgar Hoover as played by Martin Sheen, are full of opportunists and reactionaries… and the Panthers are out there doing their thing, making their calls for change. Not always peaceful ones.

I wish I could say the entire movie was strong but I think it got a little flabby in the final act. The closer it gets to the ultimate resolution to its plot, the more it kind of starts to tread lightly on history that is probably challenged. I think it pulls a punch or two so the overall impact is lessened. That’s my take on it… I’m willing to be wrong about this one.

But otherwise, very strong film.

Score: 85