Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)

The story of Fred Hampton, Chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, and his fateful betrayal by FBI informant William O'Neal. (imdb)
Genres: Drama, History, Biography
Country: USA
Directed By: Shaka King
Written By: Shaka King, Kenneth Lucas, Keith Lucas, Will Berson
Starring: Martin Sheen, Jesse Plemons, Robert Longstreet, Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Ashton Sanders, Dominique Fishback, Lil Rel Howery, Algee Smith, Jermaine Fowler, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Dominique Thorne

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Judas and the Black Messiah belongs to 15 collections
1. Academy Award - Oscar - Best Picture and Nominees (public: moderated by smviper00 - 40 stars)
2. Left-wing politics (public: moderated by djross - 24 stars)
3. Academy Award - Oscar - ALL Best Picture, Directing, Acting & Screenplay Nominees (public - 23 stars)
4. Based on true events (public: moderated by iconogassed - 12 stars)
5. 1960s period film (public: moderated by djross - 7 stars)
6. American racial politics (public: moderated by djross - 4 stars)
7. African-American protagonist (public: moderated by Moribunny - 3 stars)
8. Movies with Black leads (public: moderated by PerryStroika - 2 stars)
9. 2021 Academy Awards: Nominated Feature Films (public: moderated by joel-w-m - 2 stars)
10. Films available in HD (supplement) (public: moderated by Jorg - 1 star)
11. FBI (public: moderated by livelove - 1 star)
12. 78th Golden Globe Awards: Nominated (2021) ☐ (public: moderated by 5Z5qjRCfM2)
13. -On My Radar (private: KasperL - 2 stars)
14. 2021 Films Seen (private: seals)
15. 2021 Oscar (private: Giskard)
Browse the full list of collections
Date | User | Rating | |
Apr 19 | ![]() |
Pietayse | 70 47% |
Apr 19 | ![]() |
peyrin | 80 81% |
It's hard to assess the political accuracy when you're already leftpilled (of course quoting Mao is good! duh! no idea if they meant it as a good thing though) but I can't say I noticed any glaring missteps. Probably about as good as you could expect from something running the typical awards circuit.
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Apr 19 | ahmetemre | 77 69% |
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Apr 19 | ![]() |
psim | 76 54% |
This movie has a great cast and tells a story I hadn't heard before and which deserves to be told, but after a number of similarly well-made recent (and probably long overdue) films reckoning with events of that era, it didn't stand out of the pack for me.
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Apr 19 | ![]() |
dcatcher | 66 60% |
Apr 19 | semioticus | 80 67% |
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The film lacks the exclamation marks that one has come to except from this genre/subject, but arguably that's also why this is a fresh take. Kaluuya is great, Stanfield is greater. We need a lot more movies about the 60s and COINTELPRO.
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Apr 19 | seantaylxr | 82 76% |
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Apr 19 | ![]() |
Dim Returns | 65 58% |
Apr 18 | Rafael Reis | 86 56% |
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Apr 18 | ![]() |
mwgerb | 67 80% |
Apr 18 | RayBee | 11 13% |
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Apr 18 | Oldtothelyte | 80 32% |
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Apr 17 | kcbattle | 70 61% |
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Apr 17 | soderberg | 70 64% |
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Apr 17 | ![]() |
xmoffx | 1 13% |
Apr 17 | BromarSharif | 5 78% |
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Apr 17 | strangelime | 80 53% |
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Apr 17 | ![]() |
Mpython | 6 41% |
Apr 17 | ![]() |
TychoCelchuu | 87 76% |
Apr 16 | mamaska | 73 51% |
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Apr 15 | ![]() |
zae | 70 53% |
Apr 15 | ![]() |
AnnieHall | 85 62% |
What a powerful and special story. I don't know if I should admire Kaluuya or Stanfield more, they were both fantastic. Jesse Plemons, typical villain as always. It was very meaningful to see O'Neal's real-life interviews. We see painfully how police violence and racial discrimination, while that Fred's speech scene ( huge credit to Daniel Kaluuya ) is the top moment of the film. I don't like to compare, but I think it's better than The Trial of the Chicago 7, at least I liked it more.
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Apr 15 | ![]() |
kaan26 | 64 51% |
Apr 14 | xibalba0 | 75 61% |
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Apr 14 | sabito | 37 49% |
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Apr 14 | ![]() |
bluestblues | 7 50% |
Apr 13 | ![]() |
xybydy | 60 31% |
Apr 13 | ![]() |
NickTheo | 70 38% |
Apr 13 | ![]() |
cminferno | 96 96% |
Apr 12 | ![]() |
SPM_Liam | 80 72% |
Apr 12 | ![]() |
kk3thess | 80 87% |
Apr 12 | ![]() |
budinjm | 70 0% |
Apr 11 | ![]() |
VengefulKBM | 90 92% |
Apr 11 | ![]() |
Methouse | 75 53% |
Apr 11 | f_ranzen | 70 70% |
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Apr 10 | ![]() |
cankutozturk | 75 49% |
Apr 09 | cayh | 80 72% |
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Apr 09 | ![]() |
nforvendetta | 85 93% |
Apr 09 | ![]() |
Soixist | 80 62% |
Really Good
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Apr 09 | ![]() |
johanelma | 80 73% |
Apr 08 | ![]() |
finchereznor | 70 31% |
Apr 07 | ![]() |
kangadoodoo | 70 77% |
Apr 07 | ![]() |
erkayama | 70 47% |
Apr 06 | ![]() |
Kavu | 90 94% |
Excellent all around. Kaluuya and Stanfield stand out, but nobody is a weak link.
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Apr 06 | ![]() |
efervesanfil | 76 43% |
Apr 06 | Oliii | 87 71% |
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Apr 06 | ![]() |
gulnur | 70 45% |
Apr 06 | Paradox | 79 70% |
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Apr 05 | ![]() |
alexlma | 8 75% |
Apr 05 | Slowjoe | 74 78% |
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Apr 05 | ![]() |
RTAudience | 95 97% |
Apr 05 | ![]() |
P u l p | 43 27% |
Apr 05 | zachfla | 80 87% |
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Apr 05 | CiEmPank | 82 77% |
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Атмосфера - 2 Нарратив - 2 Сценарий - 3 Сюжет - 2 Саундтрек - 2 Актерская игра - 3 Эмоции - 2 Синематографи - 3 Визуал - 2 Флоу - 2 Звук - 2 Выполнение своей цели - 3 Продакшн дизайн - 3 Костюмы - 3 Монтаж - 2 Целостность - 3 Субъективно - 3 Сцена - 1
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Apr 04 | ![]() |
El99can | 70 45% |
Apr 04 | ![]() |
doyone | 60 31% |
Apr 04 | Geniasis | 84 48% |
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Apr 04 | ayinaim | 90 89% |
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Apr 03 | Roman_Herbom | 82 76% |
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Apr 03 | ![]() |
Darren | 80 73% |
Like any of these movies you’re never going to get a fully realized portrait of who Chairman Hampton was but at least this one acknowledges the class first consciousness that he had. Agree with many that have said O’neal for being the lead is underwritten mainly because the second act flounders. Interested in more from Shaka King
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Apr 03 | jpotII | 14 9% |
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Apr 03 | pyromaniac | 7 24% |
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Apr 03 | ![]() |
numan | 76 66% |
Apr 03 | ![]() |
porzano | 66 82% |
Apr 03 | ![]() |
tipieserozge | 80 81% |
Apr 03 | burner010101 | 97 99% |
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Apr 02 | ![]() |
1903 | 65 48% |
Apr 02 | DolphinSpurs | 70 27% |
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The incredulity of the events in the story would be laughable if they were not based on history which sort of takes away from the impact of the proceedings. I never heard what Hampton sounded like so it's hard to know if Kaluuya was overacting or not, but he put in a borderline powerhouse performance. Stanfield was lacking, only compared to the A+ work he usually delivers. Overall, a solid entry into the canon about an undercelebrated figure in American History. Jesse Plemons was also excellent
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Apr 01 | ![]() |
Seethruskin | 5 80% |
Apr 01 | ![]() |
Cebion | 75 48% |
Apr 01 | ![]() |
umutkrdmn95 | 77 39% |
Apr 01 | ![]() |
mistephane | 70 62% |
Mar 31 | ![]() |
fenixdown | 77 61% |
Mar 31 | mdfleming80 | 85 70% |
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Mar 31 | ![]() |
oguzhnakkaya | 54 29% |
Mar 30 | ![]() |
Phelipe | 91 90% |
Mar 30 | ![]() |
baristoker | 75 64% |
Mar 30 | Tan Solo | 70 52% |
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Mar 30 | ![]() |
jemenfous | 75 55% |
Mar 30 | ![]() |
Taha Durmuş | 75 59% |
Mar 30 | Sadman | 80 62% |
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The movie has all the right ingredients to be an angry classic but it doesn't quite get there. I believe the reason is a confused screenplay where the story is stretched too thin. None of the moving parts are fleshed out enough to coalesce into something that delivers the righteous gut punch the movie is aiming for. Kaluuya delivers a powerhouse performance but he is sadly miscast. He looks too old to play 21 year old Fred Hampton.
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Mar 30 | ![]() |
siahvasch | 75 93% |
Mar 30 | electric | 78 60% |
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Mar 30 | ![]() |
War Machine | 65 31% |
89+68+impersonatingFBItorobblackssohired+pantherclass+keepaninformantkillercuzletsthemhavewarrantforharboringfugitivelol+wowtheymadehimstayaninformantafterthemurderlol+iwaspartofthestruggle-notarmchairrevolutionary-suicidethedaythedocairedlol+Fredwas21+wifepartofmodernpanthers-sonchairman
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Mar 29 | ![]() |
TreyAtwood | 50 12% |
Mar 29 | ![]() |
Umut Şeker | 72 31% |
Mar 29 | shikantaza | 80 80% |
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Mar 29 | ![]() |
karlson | 70 44% |
I kind of digged this movie, but I see 1 great flaw: the main character is a mess. It's interesting they show the real Bill O'Neal in the end, which made it clear that this man was not hindered by an educated, internal conscience. The fictional Bill, however, struggles every minute of the movie with his overflowing conflicting emotions. This should have been played fare more conservatively and unscrupulous, like, a young denzel washington could've done (if he had the courage!).
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Mar 29 | ![]() |
cardioids | 80 61% |
Mar 29 | ![]() |
mpayan | 87 80% |
Mar 28 | Erencgiden | 91 73% |
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Mar 28 | sspiegel | 75 60% |
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Mar 28 | ![]() |
PepeCamello | 70 70% |
Mar 27 | ![]() |
babaracus | 8 68% |
Mar 27 | bones_r | 80 80% |
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Mar 27 | Swarleyd | 7 41% |
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Mar 26 | ![]() |
sheeper | 70 38% |
Mar 26 | ![]() |
Roshambo | 60 52% |
Mar 25 | ![]() |
Corbad | 65 42% |
An undeniably powerful story and movement is no more than serviceably rendered behind the screen—blandly written and uninterestingly constructed. The film’s focus is the period and the delivery of the historical beats, to the detriment of any character study; Stanfield’s Bill shows up to participate, but is never a compelling centrifuge. A polished TV movie.
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Mar 24 | ![]() |
ÖzcanEfe | 76 73% |
Mar 24 | ![]() |
denizbergun | 88 40% |
Mar 24 | ![]() |
Toy-G | 86 68% |
Mar 24 | ![]() |
barisius | 80 70% |
Mar 24 | ![]() |
Grouchy | 75 37% |
It's a fine movie, and Stanfield/Kaluuya rock it out of the park. As for the awards controversy, I'm pretty sure Stanfield should be the protagonist and Kaluuya the supporting, if we all agree that it's not necessarily related to actual screentime. The movie reminded me of Blackkklansman - I had a pet peeve with that which is that the informant in the actual events spent years infiltrating the Black Panthers.
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Mar 24 | anial | 82 72% |
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Mar 24 | ![]() |
stoickov | 70 43% |
Mar 23 | ![]() |
TonEe | 81 57% |
Mar 23 | ![]() |
canadianor | 0 1% |
Mar 23 | ![]() |
flowing | 33 19% |
Mar 22 | ![]() |
tsebben | 40 7% |
Mar 22 | clouseau | 73 76% |
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Mar 21 | ![]() |
serenadsiir | 75 45% |
Mar 21 | ![]() |
asperastrum () | 74 50% |
Mar 21 | ![]() |
jackinthebox | 60 36% |
Mar 21 | ![]() |
ibrahimbars | 64 35% |
Mar 21 | ![]() |
jeremyjacob | 75 78% |
Mar 20 | freyr_rabbit | 90 72% |
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Mar 20 | ![]() |
schnofel | 67 66% |
Mar 20 | ![]() |
Lakriitz | 4 74% |
Mar 20 | ![]() |
EmeraldGuard | 10 1% |
Mar 20 | Liquefied | 74 71% |
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Mar 20 | ![]() |
brianstorm | 74 80% |
Mar 20 | ![]() |
MC23 | 80 64% |
Mar 20 | EvilAsh | 84 86% |
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Mar 20 | leemarvins | 85 89% |
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Mar 20 | Edsep | 70 28% |
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Mar 20 | Atoz | 44 26% |
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Mar 19 | REH | 40 20% |
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Mar 19 | ![]() |
tatarbey | 68 22% |
Mar 19 | ![]() |
daffodil907 | 74 75% |
Mar 19 | ![]() |
deanjames | 70 57% |
Mar 19 | abesempire | 90 75% |
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Mar 18 | ![]() |
erayyildiz | 60 29% |
Mar 18 | Teacher | 53 23% |
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Mar 17 | flipperrbm | 4 37% |
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Mar 17 | ![]() |
lessismore | 74 45% |
Mar 17 | ![]() |
okayfrog | 65 58% |
Mar 17 | ![]() |
karacuneyt | 70 34% |
Mar 17 | ![]() |
gosemef | 71 54% |
Mar 17 | Kianoto | 55 15% |
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Mar 17 | cococeva | 60 48% |
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Mar 17 | ![]() |
jalanb | 76 65% |
Mar 17 | ![]() |
patrickped | 75 62% |
Mar 17 | ![]() |
talat | 75 52% |
Mar 16 | ![]() |
selinozcelik | 85 82% |
Mar 16 | ![]() |
Amita | 71 66% |
Mar 16 | seymasylk | 75 32% |
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Mar 16 | ![]() |
TrixRabbi | 70 31% |
Mar 16 | ![]() |
balseiros | 80 70% |
Mar 15 | ![]() |
semitozge | 65 42% |
Mar 15 | ![]() |
selingoknar | 60 16% |
Mar 15 | ![]() |
newtothelyte | 85 74% |
Mar 15 | ![]() |
Cloudynow | 73 74% |
Mar 15 | ![]() |
TraverseTown | 55 37% |
Mar 15 | ![]() |
svenerik | 85 80% |
Mar 15 | ![]() |
tk421dom | 70 66% |
Mar 14 | ![]() |
FrancoGonzo | 10 46% |
Mar 14 | Jamesmack | 75 42% |
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Mar 14 | ![]() |
grimsooth | 78 83% |
Mar 13 | ![]() |
defiance13 | 71 77% |
Mar 13 | ![]() |
JLFM | 76 68% |
Confidently directed by Shaka King, Judas and the Black Messiah is a fiery and frequently gripping look at brutal racism and division. Lakeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya are completely terrific. I also feel like this should be getting a lot more attention in craft departments - the production design and costumes are excellent.
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Mar 13 | maddriver52 | 74 43% |
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Mar 13 | ![]() |
glumpy_99 | 80 56% |
Kaluuya’s forceful and charismatic performance is the highlight, with King internalising the sensibilities of Scorsese and Lee while bringing his own distinctive touches to bear. Hampered by its centering of the narrative on Stanfield’s "Judas" – we learn so little about him except for his superficial interactions with Plemons’ stock FBI Agent, which means that he can’t hold his own in this otherwise compelling narrative. A still compelling and fascinating tale.
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Mar 12 | ![]() |
abasakucan | 70 58% |
Mar 12 | Kokopelli13 | 8 82% |
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incredible performances, beautiful cinematography, and a great story; a fascinating and unique look at the history of modern political-socio-racial tensions
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Mar 12 | ![]() |
McJohnson | 82 53% |
Mar 12 | ![]() |
sopachuco13 | 90 83% |
These types of historical biography films are a double edged sword - they inspire me but they also make me incredibly sad. Daniel Kaluuya as Fred Hampton was inspiring. Lakeith Stanfield was generally wonderful but there were times when I was bored by his performance. I can understand if it was just the direction of the character but it still left me wanting more from him. The final moments of the movie saved his performance. It is a hard movie to watch but it's important none-the-less.
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Mar 12 | ![]() |
Nathan | 72 56% |
Mar 12 | skeller | 85 59% |
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Mar 11 | bidola | 80 52% |
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Mar 11 | mjoc0723 | 40 27% |
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Good acting and excellent production values. But essentially mostly boring liberal propaganda.
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Mar 11 | ![]() |
nickv | 68 55% |
Mar 10 | ![]() |
LibraLynx98 | 88 93% |
Mar 10 | 1217minion | 89 63% |
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Mar 09 | ![]() |
ibodirector | 70 59% |
Mar 09 | ![]() |
WarrenWho | 80 79% |
Mar 09 | ![]() |
NhanLa | 73 67% |
Mar 09 | ArcticLendri | 77 53% |
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Mar 09 | ![]() |
jacobclark12 | 96 94% |
This film hits. Shaka King is someone I've never heard of before but is now someone who I will be watching with great interest. He helms this film so confidently and with oodles of swagger, yet never forgetting to make thematic points at every single turn. Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield knock their performances out of the park, but every cast member deserves a ton of praise for upping their game too; Jesse Plemmons and Dominique Fishback are quite noteworthy.
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Mar 08 | ![]() |
WWallce4prez | 78 65% |
Shaka King's follow up to the wonderful Shrill is gorgeously photographed and well staged. It is the two central performances, however, that steal the show. Kaluuya's fiery performance is well deserved of its praise, but I found Lakeith Stanfield's nervous energy drew my attention even more. The informant role can be tricky because it has been seen so much before, but he just nails the highs and lows so well.
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Mar 08 | ![]() |
LiQuid3600 | 60 58% |
Mar 08 | ![]() |
_sem | 86 54% |
Mar 08 | Harpo74 | 100 77% |
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Mar 07 | ![]() |
Shadrik | 77 76% |
Mar 07 | Colin19 | 89 78% |
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Mar 07 | ![]() |
Tizzy | 80 72% |
Mar 07 | jadenha | 100 0% |
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Mar 06 | Wyzt | 85 84% |
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Mar 06 | ![]() |
E.C.R. | 67 68% |
Mar 06 | jgollner | 90 92% |
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Mar 06 | ![]() |
sculptor | 85 56% |
Mar 06 | ![]() |
buddhalou | 85 86% |
Mar 06 | ![]() |
halkas | 60 59% |
Mar 06 | ![]() |
kuzronk | 70 73% |
Mar 06 | ![]() |
lucasodiniz | 70 39% |
Mar 05 | ![]() |
Hisingen | 75 66% |
Mar 05 | ![]() |
matimend | 7 46% |
Mar 05 | ![]() |
Ametrine | 8 62% |
Mar 05 | ![]() |
adrenaline | 80 88% |
Mar 04 | ![]() |
obtiosov | 73 50% |
Mar 04 | ![]() |
FCritikerAdm | 1 5% |
Tried to care. Didn't succeed...
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Mar 04 | ![]() |
tsumanne | 64 43% |
Mar 04 | ![]() |
DarrenCB | 80 64% |
Mar 04 | mattornot | 15 60% |
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Mar 04 | ![]() |
EmreZabun3 | 72 57% |
Mar 03 | ![]() |
whitelighter | 63 49% |
Mar 03 | ![]() |
Tiago Vieira | 80 60% |
Mar 02 | ![]() |
damper | 70 75% |
Mar 02 | ![]() |
me7ecnt | 7 59% |
Mar 02 | nunobar | 69 46% |
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Mar 01 | ![]() |
Cipher067 | 70 62% |
Mar 01 | evancurdts | 84 76% |
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Mar 01 | z10yniger | 30 6% |
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Mar 01 | kissgyozi | 75 57% |
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Mar 01 | ![]() |
stuie299 | 85 75% |
This is just a well written movie, built on the two central performances of Kaluuya and Stanfield. They absolutely nail their characters. Fishback also puts in an extremely strong supporting effort. Plemons' and Sheen's characters on the other hand felt more written and less natural. While the majority of the film feels very fresh, they hold it back slightly by being more cliched villains/antagonists. BTW I can't forget the score/soundtrack. Another good example of how to combine music and film.
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Feb 28 | Spaceman | 84 82% |
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Feb 28 | ![]() |
DBibby | 75 54% |
Feb 28 | ![]() |
faruksongur | 7 52% |
Feb 27 | ![]() |
knuth | 75 63% |
Feb 27 | ![]() |
capodelnulla | 75 69% |
Feb 27 | ![]() |
kate_p | 77 35% |
Feb 27 | ![]() |
Siltem | 55 43% |
Feb 27 | ![]() |
emreco | 80 93% |
Feb 27 | ![]() |
sebby | 70 71% |
Feb 26 | ![]() |
Salomon | 73 70% |
Feb 26 | ![]() |
avgcrtckr | 68 84% |
Feb 26 | ![]() |
filmaffinity | 68 74% |
Feb 26 | ![]() |
aziztt | 60 32% |
Feb 26 | kittycult | 70 34% |
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Feb 26 | ![]() |
AAAutin | 78 89% |
Feb 25 | ![]() |
JSchlansky | 90 91% |
Fucking great. A real must-watch
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Feb 25 | Reavic | 50 42% |
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Feb 25 | btanrikulu | 70 72% |
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Feb 25 | CesarCastag (CinePlayers.com) | 80 72% |
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Feb 25 | ![]() |
PrestoBix | 76 48% |
Feb 25 | ![]() |
Asm Nabil | 85 84% |
Feb 25 | sfxy | 80 58% |
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Feb 25 | crtsjffrsn | 20 7% |
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Feb 25 | Squidzzzzz | 50 5% |
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Feb 25 | ![]() |
cascade | 77 83% |
Feb 25 | CarsonWid | 71 61% |
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Feb 24 | ![]() |
Hofschneider | 84 80% |
Ryan Coogler is building a star system - and I'm all here for it. What Stanfield and Kaluuya are doing here is unreal. This is some DeNiro-Pacino shit and it's time we talk about it in these terms.
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Feb 24 | eattherude | 80 77% |
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Feb 24 | ![]() |
kubrickvari | 60 40% |
Feb 24 | simkass | 83 61% |
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Feb 24 | ![]() |
weirdyoda | 80 57% |
Feb 24 | ![]() |
Enverovic | 46 16% |
Feb 23 | ![]() |
LuxNatalis | 41 26% |
Feb 23 | ![]() |
feritdgn | 70 48% |
Feb 23 | Kevin Ruffo | 86 74% |
Displaying 1 to 250 of 374 total ratings: Prev | Next
Average Percentile 62.21% from 376 Ratings | ![]() |