"Judas and the Black Messiah" on HBO Maxx puts the spotlight on black history The biopic is based on actual events surrounding the Black Panther Party in the 1960s Daniel Kaluuya plays Fred Hampton, a charismatic leader who is betrayed by FBI informant William O'Neill (Lakeith Stanfield)

"Judas and the Black Messiah" premiered to rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival in January and has already been called one of the best films of 2021 The film is currently debuting simultaneously in theaters (where it is open) and on HBO Max

The story follows William O'Neill, a career thief who infiltrates the Illinois Black Panther Party and is hunted down by the FBI to report the activities of Chairman Fred Hampton to the agent in charge, Special Agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons)

Hampton is gaining more political power while falling in love with activist Deborah Johnson (Dominique Fishback) O'Neill is torn between his personal loyalty to Hampton and pressure from FBI Director J Edgar Hoover (Martin Sheen) to bring him down

Here's what you need to know to watch "Judas and the Black Messiah" on HBO Max

"Judas and the Black Messiah" will be available on HBO Max on February 12 at 3:00 am ET

It will be available on the streaming service for 31 days (until March 14)

The HBO Max app is available on Roku, Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, Android devices and Android TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, Playstation 4 and PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, Samsung TV (2016 and later), Chrome, Firefox and Safari web browsers

In Canada, Little Things will be released theatrically on February 12 (in theaters) and online as a $2499 premium video-on-demand rental

In the UK, "Judas and the Black Messiah" will be released on February 26 It is not known if it will also be released digitally

The latest trailer for Judas and the Black Messiah begins with a quiet moment between Fred Hampton and his girlfriend Deborah Johnson, as she reads him a poem Flashes of Fred giving a fiery speech are shown, followed by a voiceover by J Edgar Hoover calling the Black Panthers "the single greatest threat to national security"

The trailer then shows William O'Neill in custody for a crime He will either go to jail or make a deal with the FBI to get closer to Hampton

The cast of Judas and the Black Messiah is led by Daniel Kaluuya as Fred Hampton, head of the Black Panther Party chapter in Chicago, and Lakeith Stanfield as criminal-turned-informant William O'Neill

They join:

Reviews of "Judas and the Black Messiah" have been mostly favorable Here are some of the critics' comments

AO Scott, New York Times: "While there are moments of stakeouts, shootouts, chases and interrogations that resemble a crime thriller, the film is better understood as a political tragedy The screenplay by King and Will Burson is shrouded in ethical traps and ideological paradoxes, and King's fast-paced direction spares no suspense, but also delivers sadness, anger, and even exhilaration

Alyssa, Wilkinson, Vox: "'Judas and the Black Messiah' is energizing, with an intoxicating energy that lands the story with a jolt 'Judas and the Black Messiah' evokes the textures and emotional undertones of the time, the sense of being part of something bigger than yourself and knowing that something powerful is in your crosshairs"

Angelica Jade Bastien, Vulture: Judas does not portray the beauty or complexity of black people, nor the obvious corruption of white supremacy From poor acting to a choppy script, this film by co-writer/director Shaka King and producer Ryan Coogler fails in the history it attempts to embody"

Karen Hann, Slate: "Hampton was murdered and O'Neill betrayed him But there are infinitely more details to their story, and King tries to touch on as many as he can, aided by strong performances from the two leads and a remarkable supporting performance from Fishback Although it's early in the year, it's not too much to say that this is one of the best films of 2021"

Nayla Spencer, The Source "Judas and the Black Messiah in its purest form is a beautiful tragedy, drawing audiences into an era of a divided nation, the clear destruction of black lives, and corrupt American institutions built on white supremacy"