Can be slow at times, but the more intense sequences are insanely well-directed and choreographed - and the entire ensemble is excellent. Stanfield, Kaluuya, Plemons and Fishback are the standouts. B+

The shootout sequence at the midway point of this movie is stunning, just rewatched it.

Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield and Jesse Plemons absolutely kill it in this and Dominique Fishback is really solid aswell, but it did feel a bit too long and slow at times.

B+

This was great for the first hour or so. It has a slick style, great acting, compelling characters and it all lead up to a seriously intense shootout.

Then we hit the scene where Martin Sheen, as J Edger Hoover, asks Jesse Plemons what he is going to do when his infant daughter brings home a black man.

...OK then. Even if that actually happened in real life (likely), it is a completely absurd scene in this film and really hurts the momentum. Actually anytime they cut away to what Jesse Plemons was up to it hurt the momentum since his character didn't actually have an arc. He starts as a racist cop who wants to shut down the Panthers by any means necessary and ends as a racist cop who would shut down the Panthers by any means necessary. Good story, bro. #Not.

It kinda comes back around as we see Judas being poisoned by his indecision before literally poisoning the Black Messiah. About 75% of the story is pretty darn good, so I'll give it a low B+.

Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield and Jesse Plemons are absolutely amazing in this. The movie works well when it focuses on struggles of black people AND the individual arcs of Fred and Bill because of the two actors being great but it looses it focus in middle half when the central story/conflict enters. First the movie is too slow and then it lacks any tension, plus the sheen with Sheen and Plemons take you out of the movie. Plemons is so good in this and I liked their decision that he did not become good in the end as its not needed for such a story. My biggest problem is that the movie does not present its central story very well. The final shootout is done superbly and most of the scenes with police are tense and brilliant.

B