Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new review! Today is an exciting one, as I will be discussing what has been my most anticipated film of the entire late Winter/Spring season, Sinners! This is the 5th film from director, Ryan Coogler, and his first that isn’t based off of anything. He is most well known for helming the first Creed flick and the Black Panther duology and he re teams again with Michael B. Jordan in the lead role(s). I am huge fan of both of these talents so another collaboration between the two has my immediate interest. Add in the fact that it is a period piece horror film involving vampires and some great trailers and one has my full attention. I was just so excited to see what Coogler had up his sleeve especially since there aren’t too many directors who are able to get the backing ($90 million budget for this one) to do original projects like this. So, was he able to deliver? Let’s jump right in and see what this dance with the devil entailed!
Set in 1932 during the Jim Crow era, we follow twins Elijah and Elias (referred to as Smoke and Stack) who come back to their hometown in the Mississippi Delta after fighting in WW1 and working for Al Capone in Chicago. Their goal is to use the money they gathered to open a local juke joint for the local black community. To further accomplish this, they gather a team of various individuals they are close with, most notably their cousin, Sammie, a talented musician who is torn between his talent and the wants of his Pastor father. Once opened, things seem to go very well until a supernatural force of evil comes knocking on their door leading to one hell of night.
It is not easy for a director/writer to be able to balance so many different genres together seamlessly into one compelling mix, but my goodness does Coogler more than accomplish that here. This is just a masterfully told story that is clearly inspired by so much (westerns, horror, religion, black culture, etc.) and I felt Coogler is able to bring his own voice to all of it that comes together for something special. The movie smartly takes it’s time setting everything up as we get to know each one of the characters, their backstories, their motivations, and their relationships with one another. It is all exceptionally done and when the time comes for things to take a turn, I was fully invested in each one of them and how things would turn out. When all hell eventually breaks loose, it never undermines the emotion and weight the film is going for, while still being a very intense and immensely entertaining survival horror film that also functions as a fun spin on the vampire genre with some creative portrayals of the usual rules for these kinds of films. The horror elements are appropriately creepy and effective, but Coogler is also able to inject some well placed comedy to add some levity to the proceedings that never becomes distracting, instead feeling naturally placed in and is specific to the characters.
The script in general is just superb, with the necessary elements being explained without getting overwhelming in regards to exposition and just all of the different themes that are being tackled in ways that feel natural to the plot riveting to watch. There is of course a lot in regards to the idea of sin and how it runs through the world in different ways and how it shapes everyone in this film. That also ties into identity with each character seeing themselves in a certain way and how that informs their actions in regards to who they want to/need to become. There’s a common thread among a lot of them for their want for power and how that ultimately ends up being the true evil of the feature. The film is also very upfront about it’s racial component (makes sense given the time period) and I thought it was handled very well and led to a great amount of catharsis by the end. Coogler delves into these themes throughout in a thoughtful manner that all managed to connect very well and make for the most satisfying story I have seen in quite some time.
There’s been buzz regarding this film being shot on IMAX 70 mm film and how integral the format is to the movie itself. As someone who watched it on a normal IMAX screen, I can indeed see his intention and I recommend the format as this is a masterfully crafted film. Autumn Dural Arkapaw’s (who previously collaborated with Coogler and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) cinematography is absolutely gorgeous and a feast for the eyes with some genuinely stunning shots of the Mississippi landscapes that nonetheless evoke a messy time in American history. Everything is just so beautifully lit, even the night time scenes and so many colors being displayed on the screen, with the use of fire being especially effective in certain sequences. The production values are also impressive with the designs and costumes evoking the feel of the era very well. The horror elements get the job done with Coogler crafting some very creepy scenes and some really effective jump scares that benefit from a less showy approach and the gore is gnarly with some really impressive make up being utilized.
One of the my personal favorite aspects of the film though is the music and the way it is used here. The Blues plays an integral role in the film in how it’s power and historical significance is explored in a fascinating angle. It represents the resilience and experiences of the Black community in way that is thoughtful and unique while also showing how it connects everything together. It is essentially a character in and of itself here. This is ESPICIALLY evident in one stand out sequence where different eras in history collide for one epic knock out of a sequence that will have people buzzing when they leave the theater. Ludwig Goransson’s Blues infused score is fire, matching the passion and energy of the film perfectly and making everything even more epic and emotionally powerful. The songs made for the film are fantastic and fit with what the movie is going for thematically and the various dance sequences are also great to watch unfold with some impressive chorography.
What really makes this feature sing higher are the characters at the center of it and the ensemble assembled to bring them to life. Michael B. Jordan pulls in a terrific dual performance as both Smoke and Stack brining both very different personalities to life perfectly. The former is a much more reserved and collected individual who has a cynical outlook on the world due to his experiences in the war and in Chicago, while the latter is a much outgoing firecracker of a personality with charisma to spare, but even he has more complicated feelings inside of him that are explore compellingly. They are both great and complex characters with well thought out arcs that Jordan conveys amazingly. They also feel like a nice representation of Coogler who doesn’t want to risk his artistic liberties as a filmmaker but also has to acknowledge the monetary side of things. The brothers and their ques to open their establishment feel like Coogler and him trying to make this film within the studio system and I just love it when a filmmaker puts so much of their experiences into their work. Same could be said for the other arguable lead of the film, Sammie, who is also a well written character with an understandable conflict of choosing whether to do what he loves or not due to the loyalties to his family. Newcomer, Miles Canton, gives in a fantastic performance that conveys the different feelings that character is going through and he gets to show off some killer vocal chops during the music numbers.
The other characters are all great and manage to stand out in their own way. Wunmi Mosaku gives in powerful work as Smoke’s estranged wife, Annie, who has a complicated relationship with her husband that is filled with resentment and love and her knowledge in the occult comes in handy when things begin to get freaky. On Stack’s end, Hailee Steinfeld also puts in strong as work as Mary, his ex-girlfriend that is more than a little upset that he left her for Chicago (something he has internal regrets about). Both relationships are fully fleshed out with both female characters being well written as strong individuals in their own right and they lead to some strong emotional pay offs. We also get some memorable supporting turns from the likes of Li Jun Chow as a local Chinese shopkeeper, Grace, Jayme Lawson as an energetic love interest for Miles, Pearline, Omar Benson Miller as the Joint’s bouncer, Cornbread, and especially Delroy Lindo as the joint’s often drunk pianist, Delta Slim. The latter is a stand out as he provides some excellent comedic relief, but he’s also a very nuanced character in his own right who ends up providing some surprising heart.
Then we have the big bad of the film, Remmick, played with much glee by Jack O’Connell. The actor just has an absolute blast hamming it up but also the character is given a lot more depth than I expected. He’s less of an absolutely evil force of nature and more like someone who believes his way of living is the most ideal under the times (his Irish heritage is no coincidence) they are living in and wants others to join him, even if they don’t want to and if that way of living takes away people’s very souls. He’s remarkably nuanced and the way he connects with Sammie is very interesting and ties into the idea of how music represents one’s individuality and how he yearns for that. He makes the vampires into a more complicated presence that I thought was a nice spin on the concept.
On the whole, I was absolutely floored by Sinners as I found it to another banger from Coogler and co. that I could not get enough of! The tone is absolutely nailed down, the story is fully fleshed out, the script is tremendous, the themes are relevant and powerful, the visuals are beautiful, it is intense, the music is magnificent, the characters are so fully realized and the performances are aces. Even if one isn’t into horror, I would still recommend it as I feel it has so much more to it, even if I also think it works as a very effective horror movie. Fans of Coogler and the team involved are going to get a kick out of this and just for anyone wanting something fresh, ambitious and original, I feel this can help satisfy that need. It’s one of those films that reminds me why I love the art form so much and is the most satisfying I have felt walking out of a movie in a while. In my eyes, just an absolute masterwork that I would watch again in a heart beat as there are likely things I didn’t pick up on the first time. A stand out of the 2020s thus far in film and this was one dance that I’ll be more than willing to re live over and over.
Side Note: There is a mid credits scene that I highly recommend staying through as it is integral to the feature serving as a coda that wraps certain things up. It’s honestly the best use of a post credits scenes I’ve seen and works as a lovely ending to the feature.
Rating: A+
Please leave your thoughts down below in the comments and see you guys later!
Review Time 