'Judas and the Black Messiah' Offers a Surface Look at an Iconic Political Leader Directed by Shaka King Starring Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Martin Sheen 6 The title of Judas and the Black Messiah sets up a biblical dynamic that the film doesn't quite do justice to. Though a good primer for those unfamiliar with Black Panther Party activist Fred Hampton and his work, Judas and the Black Messiah is ultimately a dizzying film: it spends too much time on secondary characters and events, and not enough on the "Messiah," ultimately leaving you wishing it had stuck to a singular point of view.