Devastating, even knowing how it’ll play out beforehand. Kaluuya’s charged performance as Fred Hampton leads the way to overcome the lack of a clearly defined internal struggle and political ideals in O’Neal, who we only ever get glimpses of. Stanfield is of course good but rarely plays him as more than a nervous wreck. If there’s any major problem I have with the film that’s it because for the most part this is very powerful. Shaka King’s direction never sacrifices this story’s intensity or simplifies conflicts like a certain Sorkin directed project from last year, and in that way it feels much more essential of a work.