Oscars 2021: Ranking The Best Picture Nominees From Worst To Best
7. Judas And The Black Messiah
Judas and the Black Messiah benefitted from a timely release that got it in front of audiences just before voting began at the Oscars and it clearly paid off. LaKeith Stanfield stars as Bill O'Neal, a corrupted and directionless man who infiltrates the Black Panther party on the orders of the FBI to report on Daniel Kaluuya's party leader Fred Hampton.
It is increasingly infuriating how relevant these kinds of stories continue to be which is why they have to be told and told well. Judas and the Black Messiah is a fantastic film with two amazing performances that carry your interest all the way through.
The ending is as emotionally devastating as it needed to be and it will hit you hard. Sadly, despite a strong start and a phenomenal finish, the film's second act meanders ever so slightly as the film is unsure which of the two main characters it wants to focus on (possibly leading to similar confusion that resulted in both their performances being nominated in the supporting category). If the pacing was tighter in this section, the film would have placed a lot higher.