Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is a genre-bending epic that demands to be seen on the big screen, ideally in IMAX, as the film was shot on 65mm using IMAX film cameras. This blues-inspired horror is his most fully realized film yet, exploring the cultural impact of blues music, vampires and life as part of a minority in the Southern states in the early twentieth century.
Michael B Jordan stars as two gangster twins in this 1930s-set film. Smoke is the assured brother, while Stack is a little more reckless. After a stint in Chicago, the two brothers return home to Mississippi, where they buy a plot of land from a member of the Ku Klux Klan. The plan is to revamp an old warehouse into a local juke joint where the community can gather to dance, drin,k and have a good time.
Smoke and Stack spend their time preparing for the juke joint’s grand opening, where they go around the town gathering help from old friends. Things get shaken up as Stack’s ex, Mary (Hailee Steinfeld) shows up after he abandoned her in Chicago. Smoke reconnects with his former partner Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), who firmly believes in the occult. Meanwhile, Remmick (Jack O’Connell), a musician-turned-vampire, escapes the grasp of Choctaw hunters who are on his tail. Remmick turns two local KKK members into vampires before setting his sights on Smoke and Stack’s juke joint. Blues music fills the air as the locals drink and dance, unaware of the dangers that await outside. But it’s not just the vampires that want to reckon with those inside, but a much more realistic enemy that wishes to be rid of those who haunt such an establishment.
Sinners has a grungy, gothic, and at times, sexy atmosphere. Bodies sweat, dance, and rub up against each other as the heat of the night ramps up. Coogler allows space for his film’s most hardened characters to be emotional, leading to moments of tenderness, but also unbridled outbursts as the horror takes over. Coogler doesn’t shy away from being blunt, showing the harshness of reality, or being gory. In fact, Sinners is filled with Tarantino-like brutality and endless amounts of blood spilt by vampires. This is emphasised by Ludwig Göransson’s bewitching musical score that proves, once again, that he is the best composer currently working. The versatility he has shown in his work with Coogler and Christopher Nolan is nothing short of extraordinary, Sinners is no different.
Michael B Jordan delivers one of the best performances of the year, playing both of the gangster brothers. Jordan’s double performance is a remarkable feat that looks entirely realistic and feels genuine, as the audience is forced to care about the twins equally. Hailee Steinfeld, known for True Grit and Hawkeye, kills it as a white-passing person who frequents the same spots as Smoke and Stack. Steinfeld’s performance is a revelation to those who haven’t watched True Grit, as she harnesses her excellent acting chops and her family roots to bring her performance to life. Her character, Mary, is prickly and determined, letting no one stand in her way to get what she wants. Joining the others is newcomer Miles Caton, who delivers a soulful performance as the cousin of Smoke and Stack, whom they hire to sing at their juke joint. Caton’s voice is incredible and features in the film’s best scene that will leave spectators thinking about it for days.
There has been a lot said about Ryan Coogler’s eventual ownership of Sinners, but if you watch the fil,m you will realise how deeply personal it is to him. It makes sense that the director pushed so hard for the deal, and he deserves it. Coogler impactfully examines the importance of music to Black culture in this ambitious film, leaving his soul on the screen. Sinners is undoubtedly Coogler’s best film to date.
Score: 5 out of 5