Rating: 4/5 stars

Ryan Coogler’s writing and directing is at its best in his latest movie “Sinners” exploring themes of family legacy, music’s impact and the persistence of community all tied to the Black experience. 

“Sinners” is a cross-genre movie classified in period, horror and action. The movie is set in 1930s Mississippi, with Michael B. Jordan playing two identical twin brothers, Smoke and Stack, moving back home from Chicago to open a nightclub. Things take a turn when vampires begin to terrorize the nightclub.

Music is the foundation of the movie, with Smoke and Stack’s younger cousin Sammie “Preacher Boy” (Miles Canton) leaving his religious home for the night to perform blues music. The most impactful scenes in the movie circle around the impact of music on the Black community. 

The vampire (Jack O’Connell) who is terrorizing the group is an Irish man, which is done intentionally by Coogler. Coogler notes that the Irish were also stripped of their culture and language, similarly to African-Americans in the U.S. The vampire is desperately trying to make a community, but at a cost, still taking away the Black culture in the nightclub. Coogler uses the vampire as a metaphor for systematic exploitation and historical trauma. 

Every actor gives one of their best performances. Jordan’s chemistry with both Hailee Steinfeld and Wunmi Mosaku’s characters feels real and organic. This might be Jordan’s best performance yet, capturing both of the twins’ motives and love. 

O’Connell plays Remmick, bringing depth to his role with a mix of menace and charisma. His dedication to the role is evident in his use of musical contributions, including singing and playing the banjo.

Steinfeld also stuns in her new role, bringing a level of complexity and heart to the story. The chemistry was eclectic and viewers could not keep their eyes off the screen when Steinfeld was on.

The supernatural element is beautiful, connecting it to real-world themes of culture and human connection. In a gorgeous scene in the nightclub, Sammie’s music brings past and future together as the rest of the characters dance and sing along. The scene captures the theme of “Sinners” perfectly: music’s healing and cultural impact on the Black community. 

The cinematography is another highlight of the film. Coogler uses colors of the sky and lighting from the nightclub to create powerful hues that convey the message. Shot on IMAX cameras, the film captures the essence of the story.

“Sinners” explores a lot of themes in its two hours and 17 minutes run, but sometimes it feels it was taking on too much, leaving some supernatural elements unexplored and unexplained. Themes of religion were introduced but not fully developed.

Coogler does a great job of showing the complexities of life and music. While Sammie sees everything destroyed at the nightclub, he witnesses community, love and happiness in a way he never saw before. In the end, Sammie chooses music even with its faults, he knows it is something he can let go of.

The film explores Black identity, family legacy, racial violence and the persistence of community joy amidst oppression. Overall, it is a bold and ambitious film that offers a fresh perspective on the horror genre.

Image via Warner Bros via YouTube