2025 ‧ Historical Horror/Drama/Musical‧ 138m
Ryan Coogler ventures out of franchises and cinematic universes for the first time since Fruitvale Station with his new period horror film Sinners. A historical drama/musical, with vampires.
1932. Mississippi. Sammie “Preacher Boy” Moore, played by new-comer Miles Caton, is the son of preacher (hence the name) who works in a cotton field. His real passion is the blues, something of which his father does not approve. His cousins Smoke and Stack, both played by Michael B. Jordan, return from their time in Chicago. They had some success there and now wish to open their own business. They buy an old sawmill to turn into a juke joint. They want their cousin Sammie to be the entertainment. That night folks come in and have a wonderful time. Until a trio of folks posing as musicians, who are not what they seem, asked to be let in and join. Things do not go well from there.
It is disappointing when an interesting indie director gets swept up in the franchise world instead of making original projects. Coogler did, however, put an undeniable mark on his Marvel films and Creed entry. That success enabled him to have Warner Brothers gave him creative control and a fantastic deal for Sinners. It seems to have paid off, both financially but artistically as well. His return to non-IP storytelling shows how and what he learned from those movies. Coogler found a way to use elements of those blockbusters and add it to his own original story. On paper a period horror musical about vampire sounds like a difficult task, but Coogler is able to mesh the genres well. The film is a slow burn at first, ramping up once the vampires show up to the juke joint. That slow build up creates a world with well-connected characters with rich details. Sinners takes its time and by doing so the narrative becomes so much more layered. Viewers will find something new and interesting to think about days after watching. Race, family, poverty, colonialism, assimilation, faith, community. Coogler tackles so much in the film’s runtime, but it never feels overpacked.
Michael B. Jordan gives probably the best performance of his career as the twin brothers, Smoke and Stack. His mannerisms for each brother make them easy to distinguish as separate characters, even if they are outwardly identical. Jordan might be the top billed, but the film’s actual protagonist is Sammie and Miles Caton is engaging and enthralling . Caton is also the musical backbone of the film as the aspiring bluesman. Hailee Steinfeld as Mary, Stack’s old flame, shows a side of her audiences have not seen yet and Wunmi Mosaku’s Annie adds much needed heart.
Seasoned horror fans are unlikely to find much in the way of scares here. The film has few faults, most of which stem from the tried tropes and rules of vampires. Tired as they might be, Coogler plays with these in a fun and fascinating way. It does not exactly breathe new life, but it uses the tropes well. The juke joint setting, brotherhood, and later vampire action will remind horror fans of From Dusk ‘til Dawn. But ultimately Sinners is about as similar to Rodriguez’s film as much as Anora is to Pretty Woman. There is also a moment, reminiscent of John Carpenter’s The Thing, where the characters eat garlic to determine if someone is secretly a vampire. This is not done in a mugging way that a lot of movies do today. Perhaps Coogler’s MCU and Creed involvement taught him what not to do when doing fan service. The mid and post credit scenes also showcase his mastery of the concepts he got from those franchises. Stay through the credits, everyone.
It’s still a little early, but Sinners is a clear frontrunner for the best of the year. See it on the biggest screen you can.
Grade: A-
~Andrew