Ryan Conde’s review published on Letterboxd:
You know a movie is amazing when you get it on Blu-ray and want to see it again. That's basically what I did with Judas and the Black Messiah. I've already reviewed this movie back when it came out in February and if you want to hear more about the movie itself and what I love about it go and check that review out but I decided to get the Blu-ray and watch it again to see if it was just as amazing as it was the first time watching it and I can say that it still is. It's a movie that is as revolutionary as Fred Hampton is. I literally don't have any problems with the movie at all. It's just a perfect biographical drama that gets pretty much everything right. Also, I was very happy that it got nominated for Best Picture and even took home a few Oscars. "Fight for You" winning for Best Original Song was a surprise but I can see why as it is a great song but the one I am most happy about is Daniel Kaluyya's win for Best Supporting Actor. He truly deserved it because as if nobody has mentioned it already his performance in this movie was just phenomenal. I didn't see Kaluyya in this role all I saw was Fred Hampton. That's how much he just disappears into this role and gives so many powerful and memorable moments. The "I Am A Revolutionary Speech" will not leave my head for the life of me because Kaluyya is just so electrifying in the role. If that isn't proof that he is one of the best actors of our time then I don't know what is but no matter what he did an incredible job in this movie. Also, congrats to the movie for getting other deserved nominations like Best Cinematography, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor not just for Daniel Kaluyya but for Lakeith Stanfield who was also amazing in this movie. That was a very pleasant surprise but Stanfield really did deserve it because just like Kaluyya he disappears into the role of William "Bill" O'Neal. While I would've loved this movie to have won Best Picture I still am very happy it got some attention and I can only hope it gets even more in the future. It is a shame that the movie barely made any money in theaters and I wasn't able to experience it on the big screen but thanks to Warner Bros. and their decision to move their 2021 film slate both in theaters and on HBO Max the exact same day I and many others were able to discover this movie. I seriously am growing more and more to love that decision by the way. Anyway, I am just happy the movie has gotten more and more people to see it, and now that it's out on Blu-ray I hope that encourages more people to check it out. If you still haven't watched this film yet then do it right now and even watch it again if you can because this is a movie that deserves it in all the best ways.
