How to watch Judas and the Black Messiah online: stream the movie on HBO Max now

watch judas and the black messiah online
(Image credit: Warner Bros)

Inspired by real events, Judas and the Black Messiah tells the infuriating story of the betrayal and assassination of Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya), a peaceful activist in the 1960s. Read on below we explain how you can watch Judas and the Black Messiah online and stream the movie on HBO Max today.

How to watch Judas and the Black Messiah online

Stream now: exclusively on HBO Max

HBO Max leaving date: March 14

Original release date: February 1, 2021

Director: Shaka King

Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback

Run time: 2 hr 6 mins

Rating: R

Hampton was just 21 when he was shot and killed at point-blank range as he slept in his bed, by the FBI and Chicago Police Department, who had targeted him as part of an effort to silence his calls for social change - but to bring him down they needed a mole.

In exchange for cash and being let off the hook for a series of petty crimes, William O'Neal (Lakeith Stanfield) agreed to infiltrate the Black Panther Party (BPP) on behalf of the FBI and its chief J. Edgar Hoover, who was willing to use whatever means necessary to snuff out the movement that Hampton had helped to foster. 

As well as rising through the ranks of the party O'Neal grew close to Hampton, who was at the time the chairman of the Illinois chapter of the BPP and a founder of the multicultural Rainbow Coalition, which had successfully united a diverse array of oppressed communities across the political spectrum. 

However, with the launch of an outrageous disinformation campaign and the help of O'Neal, the FBI - led by agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons) - actively encouraged violence between the BPP and other radical organizations, and killed Hampton during an early-morning raid, after he'd been drugged.

They could murder the man, but they couldn't eradicate his legacy. Follow our guide below to watch Judas and the Black Messiah online and stream the HBO Max exclusive right now - it leaves the service on March 14, so don't delay!


watch Judas and the Black Messiah online hbo max

How to watch Judas and the Black Messiah online in the US exclusively with HBO Max

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Judas and the Black Messiah is available to watch online on the HBO Max streaming service in the US.

It has an affordable monthly price tag of $14.99, and your money gets you access to a huge amount of quality content to stream live and on-demand. HBO Max's back catalog totals over 10,000 hours and, as well being the place to watch Judas and the Black Messiah, features more all-time greats in The Wire, The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, and Friends - plus newer hits such as Euphoria, I May Destroy You, and The Flight Attendant. 

Also recently, it's been enjoying the exclusive early streaming rights to some of the biggest movies around, including Earwig and the Witch, Wonder Woman 1984, and The Little Things - all of which have been on HBO Max for a full 30-days before being made available anywhere else.

All in all, it's one of the best streaming services the US has to offer - but if it falls short of your expectations for whatever reason or you only want it to watch Judas and the Black Messiah, you can of course cancel HBO Max at any time unlike getting the channel through cable.

More great HBO Max content:

Aatif Sulleyman

Aatif is a freelance copywriter and journalist based in the UK. He’s written about technology, science and politics for publications including Gizmodo, The Independent, Trusted Reviews and Newsweek, but focuses on streaming at Future, an arrangement that combines two of his greatest passions: sport and penny-pinching.