🍿#6: Judas and the Black Messiah
What to watch this weekend and the best upcoming releases...
“You mix your laundry list with your grocery list, you'll end up eating your underwear for breakfast.”
~ Memento, 2000
The good, the bad, and the wrong…
Let’s start with the good news, UK Cinemas are expected to reopen on 17 May whilst drive-in and outdoor cinemas will be open from 12 April. That is if the government’s lockdown easing goes to plan, which it definitely will… 👀
The bad news? The nationwide closure of cinemas has brought more than a few discrepancies in regards to the dates that films will supposedly be released and the dates they’re actually released.
To add to the confusion, some films are constantly being pushed back, which is making it difficult to schedule reviews. For example, Sound of Metal was due in January but initially postponed to March… Now it won’t be released in the UK until 17 May, even though Riz Ahmed may well win a BAFTA on 11 April.
Clearly, some titles are holding out for a cinema release, as opposed to a straight-to-streaming release - and that’s fine. But it’s frustrating that so many films are readily available in the USA.
Why am I rambling about all this? Well, I recently reported that Judas and the Black Messiah would be released in the UK on 26 February and I was wrong. However, the Warner Bros. press office has confirmed that as of today, the film “will be available to rent [in the UK] from all participating digital retailers”.
I do everything I can to verify and cross-check my sources to provide you with accurate information, but—as the 2020 catchphrase goes—‘these are unprecedented times’. With that in mind, I hope you’ll forgive any discrepancies for the time being.
As always, thanks for reading. If you’re enjoying Salty Popcorn then please like, comment and share with your friends and family. 🙏
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Upcoming Releases
Cherry
UK: 12 March // USA: 12 March
Tom Holland (Spiderman, Avengers, The Devil All the Time) is keeping himself busy these days with films coming out left, right and centre. His latest film, Cherry, follows Nico (Holland) as he searches for his place in the world.
Cherry will be streaming globally on Apple TV+ as of tomorrow.
Come True
UK: 15 March // USA: 12 March
A teenage runaway (Julia Sarah Stone) takes part in a sleep study that becomes a nightmarish descent into the depths of her mind and a frightening examination of the power of dreams. Dreams fascinate me, and with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 87%, this could be an indie winner.
Come True will be available to watch in the UK on Sky Store, Virgin Media, AppleTV, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Rakuten, BT, TalkTalk and PlayStation Store.
Fact of the week
As a character, Fred Hampton made an appearance in Netflix Original, Trial of the Chicago 7 and was played by Kevin Harrison Jr. On the flip side, Black Panther co-founder Bobby Seale (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who was bound and gagged in Trial of the Chicago 7, was mentioned in Judas and the Black Messiah.
There’s a bonus fact this week, but if you’re unfamiliar with the true story behind Judas and the Black Messiah, it may be a spoiler - so it’s at the bottom of this email.
Review: Judas and the Black Messiah
Star rating:
4.5 (out of 5)
Worth a watch?
Yes ✊🏾✊🏻
Where to watch:
USA: HBO Max
UK: Amazon Prime (£5.99)
Blurb:
Based on a harrowingly true story, Shaka King’s Judas and the Black Messiah follows car thief William O’Neil (LaKeith Stanfield) infiltrate the Black Panthers’ Illinois chapter to get close to chairman Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya) on behalf of the FBI.
Kaluuya has so far won two awards for his performance and the film has been nominated for no less than four BAFTAs, including Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography and Best Casting.
The review (NO spoilers):
With superb performances from Stanfield and Kaluuya (one that bagged Kaluuya a Critic’s Choice Award and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor), Judas and the Black Messiah will have you gripped from start to finish.
Dominique Fishback also deserves our applause for her portrayal of Deborah Johnson, Hampton’s partner. Although her character is humbly sidelined for most of the film, there is one moment where she’s given the chance to shine and Fishback doesn’t let that opportunity go to waste.
With such powerful performances, it’s hard to gauge exactly who the star is. Although Kaluuya has already won multiple awards, Stanfield shouldn’t be left out of the limelight as he perfectly balances the entitlement of a selfish man and the instability of a coward that’s in too deep.
Despite being based on events that took place more than 50 years ago, Judas and the Black Messiah is pertinent to the world today, which makes the story itself all the more compelling. This is not some shallow period drama, it’s a film with a point to make and one that draws parallels with how racism was and is very much alive.
It’s worth noting that A.O. Scott, critic for The New York Times, argues that knowing how the film ends is crucial in being able to fully appreciate it. Whether you want to know or not is up to you, but if you don’t want spoilers avoid reading other reviews.
Scroll down for what’s coming in the next issue and the Critic’s Cut.
— By popular demand, the Critic’s Cut has been moved to the very, very bottom of Salty Popcorn. Now you can see what’s coming up in the next issue without risking spoilers —
If you liked Judas and the Black Messiah…
BlacKkKlansman
2018 | Amazon Prime Video (£2.49)
Starring John David Washington (Tenet, Malcolm & Marie) and Adam Driver (Star Wars, Marriage Story), Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman takes a darkly comedic approach to shining a light on racism but still packs one hell of a punch.
In the next issue:
News of the World
UK: 10 February // USA: 10 February | Watch the Trailer
The Critic’s Cut 🚨SPOILER ALERT🚨:
Fred Hampton was just 21 years old when he was shot twice in the head in his sleep, in an appallingly violent act of discrimination and cowardice. Knowing that O’Neil would betray Hampton to such an extent certainly warps one’s perspective when watching the film, but I can’t say whether you’ll appreciate it more as a result.
One thing that is certain is that nothing can ruin this film as I imagine Shaka King (and Will Berson) wrote the screenplay assuming that most audiences would know Hampton’s story.
For someone like myself, who knew little about Hampton or the Black Panther Party, this film serves not only as a reminder of the atrocious acts of racism that black people have been subjected to but the sacrifices they have made in hope of change.
Bonus Fact: I was out running the other day, listening to music, when a Jay-Z track came on featuring the lyrics: “I arrived on the day Fred Hampton died”. And it’s true, Hova was born on 4 December 1969, the same day Hampton was killed.
Great review Tom!
Great movie and great performance from Kaluuya :)