How to watch Judas and the Black Messiah on HBO Max: Release date, trailer and reviews

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Judas and the Black Messiah details

Release date: Feb. 12 (iii a.m. ET)
Bandage: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback, Martin Sheen
Manager: Shaka King
Age rating: R
Run fourth dimension: 126 min
Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%

Black history gets the spotlight when you watch Judas and the Blackness Messiah on HBO Max. The biopic is based on real-life events surrounding the Black Panther Party in the 1960s. Daniel Kaluuya stars as charismatic leader Fred Hampton, who is betrayed past an FBI informant, William O'Neal (Lakeith Stanfield).

Judas and the Black Messiah premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January to rave reviews and is already being called one of the best movies of 2021. At present, the motion picture is debuting in theaters (where open up) and on HBO Max at the same time.

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The story follows William O'Neal, a career thief who is cornered past the FBI to infiltrate the Illinois Black Panther Party and study on Chairman Fred Hampton's activities to his handler, Special Agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons).

Hampton is gaining more than political power, all while falling in love with activist Deborah Johnson (Dominique Fishback). O'Neal wavers between his personal allegiance to Hampton and the pressure level practical past FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover (Martin Sheen) to accept him down.

Here'southward everything you demand to know to lookout Judas and the Black Messiah on HBO Max.

How to watch Judas and the Black Messiah: US release date

Judas and the Black Messiah starts streaming Feb. 12 at 3 a.k. ET on HBO Max.

It volition exist available on the streaming service for 31 days (until March 14).

The HBO Max app is available on Roku, Apple tree TV, iPhone, iPad, Android devices and Android TV, Chromecast, Fire Tv, Playstation 4 and PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, too as Samsung TVs (2016 and later on) and Chrome, Firefox and Safari web browsers.

How to watch Judas and the Black Messiah in Canada

In Canada, The Little Things is opening February. 12 in theaters (where open) and online every bit a premium video on demand rental for $24.99.

How to picket Judas and the Black Messiah in the UK

In the Britain, Judas and the Black Messiah is scheduled to open February. 26 in theaters (where open). There is no info on whether it'll too be released digitally.

Judas and the Black Messiah trailer

The latest trailer for Judas and the Black Messiah opens with a placidity moment between Fred Hampton and girlfriend Deborah Johnson, equally she reads him a poem. We run into flashes of Fred giving a fiery speech, so a voiceover from J. Edgar Hoover calling the Black Panthers "the single greatest threat to our national security."

The trailer and then introduces William O'Neal, who's in custody for committing a criminal offence. He can go to prison ... or he can have a deal with the FBI to get shut to Hampton.

Judas and the Black Messiah cast

The cast of Judas and the Black Messiah is led by Daniel Kaluuya equally Fred Hampton, chairman of the Black Panther Party chapter in Chicago, and Lakeith Stanfield every bit criminal-turned-informant William O'Neal.

They are joined past:

Jesse Plemons as Roy Mitchell, FBI Special Agent and O'Neal'southward handler
Dominique Fishback as Deborah Johnson, Hampton'due south girlfriend
Martin Sheen every bit J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the FBI
Ashton Sanders as Jimmy Palmer, a Black Panther member
Darrell Britt-Gibson as Bobby Blitz, co-founder of Chicago'south Black Panther Party chapter
Lil Rel Howery every bit Wayne, a pimp
Algee Smith as Jake Winters, a Black Panther member
Jermaine Fowler as Mark Clark, a Black Party member
Dominique Thorne as Judy Harmon, a Black Panther member
Terayle Loma equally George Sams, a Blackness Panther chairman

Judas and the Black Messiah reviews

The reviews of Judas and the Black Messiah are generally positive. Here's a sampling of what the critics are saying.

A.O. Scott, The New York Times: "Though it plays at times like a crime thriller — with stakeouts and shootouts, chases and interrogations — the movie is better understood as a political tragedy. The script, by King and Will Berson, is layered with ethical snares and ideological paradoxes, and while Rex's fast-paced management doesn't spare the suspense, information technology too makes room for sorrow, anger and even a measure of exhilaration."

Alissa, Wilkinson, Phonation: "Judas and the Black Messiah is galvanizing, with an intoxicating energy that makes the story beats land with a jolt ... Judas and the Black Messiah evokes the texture and emotional tenor of the time, the feeling of being part of something bigger than yourself — and of knowing that someone powerful is turning their crosshairs toward y'all."

Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture: "Judas gets neither the dazzler and complications of Blackness, nor does it capture the outright depravity of white supremacy. From the poorly developed performances to the muddled script, this flick past co-writer/director Shaka King and producer Ryan Coogler fails the history information technology seeks to embody."

Karen Han, Slate: "Yep, Hampton was killed, and yes, O'Neal betrayed him. Just there are infinitely more details to their stories, and King tries to get into every bit many of them as he tin, aided by powerhouse performances from his two leads, also as a remarkable supporting turn from Fishback. Though it'southward early in the year, it doesn't feel like a stretch to name it i of 2021's best films."

Nailah Spencer, The Source: "Judas and the Black Messiah at its purest is a beautiful tragedy that captivates audiences by plunging them into a time of a divided nation, clear devastation of Black lives, and corrupted American institutions built on white supremacy, which sadly echoes events happening in the United States today."

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Kelly is a senior writer covering streaming media for Tom'south Guide, so basically, she watches TV for a living. Previously, she was a freelance amusement writer for Yahoo, Vulture, TV Guide and other outlets. When she's not watching Television receiver and movies for work, she's watching them for fun, seeing live music, writing songs, knitting and gardening.