Judas and the Black Messiah

The life of American civil rights activist Fred Hampton would be a rich subject for any film-maker on its own, but director Shaka King's drama cleverly tells Hampton's story tangentially as the backdrop to an undercover thriller. In Chicago, 1968, small-time crook Bill O'Neil (LaKeith Stanfield) is recruited by FBI agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons) to spy on the Illinois Black Panther Party. Bill becomes security chief for party chairman Hampton (Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya), a great vantage point from which to watch his boss evolve his quiet charisma to fearsome, fist-banging oratory in an effort to mobilise the masses. If Hampton wants change without bloodshed, however, the FBI has other ideas. Set amid tumultuous times, it's a lot to pack into just over two hours. But with the influence of producer Ryan Coogler, who directed Creed and Black Panther) and a supporting cast that includes Martin Sheen as a monstrous J Edgar Hoover, the film pulls the audience along in its slipstream with style and humanity to spare - like Hampton in full flow.