How to watch Judas and the Black Messiah" which is the latest movie on premiere on HBO Max, February 12

Judas and the Black Messiah" is the latest movie to premiere on HBO Max and in theaters on the same day. The film started streaming on February 12. 

The movie chronicles the death of Fred Hampton, the chairman of the Chicago Black Panther Party who was killed in a joint FBI and police raid in 1969. "Get Out" and "Queen & Slim" star Daniel Kaluuya plays Hampton in the film, while Lakeith Stanfield plays the FBI informant tasked with spying on Hampton and the Black Panthers.

For many Black activists, Hampton's killing exemplified violent methods that racists and the government would use to suppress their movement, sowing years of distrust for Chicago police and federal law enforcement. 

Years after Hampton's death, it was revealed that the FBI had identified Hampton as a radical and launched a campaign to undermine his activism. They planted an informant named William O'Neal within the Black Panther Party to track Hampton's actions and spread misinformation about Hampton to other Black activist groups in Chicago.

"Judas and the Black Messiah" has received critical acclaim from reviewers. The movie currently holds a "97% Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 87/100 on Metacritic.

Updated on 2/12/2021 by Kevin Webb: The language in this article has been updated for timeliness.

How to watch 'Judas and the Black Messiah'

"Judas and the Black Messiah" premiered on HBO Max on February 12 at 12:01 a.m. PT, 3:01 a.m. ET. The movie released in theaters that same day as well. "Judas and the Black Messiah" will remain available to stream on HBO Max for 31 days. After that period, the movie will be removed from the service, but it's possible that it could be added back at a later date.

HBO Max costs $15 per month, but new or returning subscribers can get 20% off a six-month membership thanks to a special promotion. If you already subscribe to HBO through your cable provider, you may be able to activate your HBO Max subscription for free, though there are some restrictions.

The HBO Max app is available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android, iOS, Mac, PlayStation, Xbox, and Samsung smart TVs. "Judas and the Black Messiah" is available in 4K with Dolby Vision, HDR10, and Dolby Atmos on supported devices.

For detailed impressions on HBO Max, check out our full HBO Max review here.

What other Warner Bros. movies are coming to HBO Max?

The next Warner Bros. movies coming to HBO Max are "Tom & Jerry," a new version of the classic cartoon due out on February 26, and the monster mash-up of "Godzilla vs. Kong" on March 31.

Other upcoming releases include "Mortal Kombat," "Space Jam: A New Legacy," and "Matrix 4."