Sinners review: a fiendishly fantastic horror masterpiece

Writer-director Ryan Coogler has unleashed another blockbuster phenomenon with his vampire horror film, Sinners. This story follows twin gangster brothers who return to their hometown in Mississippi in the 1930s, hoping to open a juke joint with the money they gained working for Al Capone. However, their joint’s opening night is ruined when their musical entertainment attracts vampires eager to crash their party and kill everyone there.

Coogler made a bold move by stepping outside the world of IP-based franchises to make Sinners. Ultimately, the director established himself as a cinematic force of nature with this thrilling and terrifying blockbuster. Coogler clearly put his heart and soul into this movie, exploring systemic oppression in America in a refreshingly original vampire story filled with action, terror, and beautiful sights and sounds.

Sinners also features several layered and compelling characters brought to life by such incredible performers. If Coogler focuses on making horror movies from now on, such a decision would be welcome, as Sinners is proof that he knows how to make a frightening and epic blockbuster.

An exceptional band of actors and characters

Michael B. Jordan delivers a stellar dual performance as brothers Smoke and Stack, with incredible visual effects seamlessly putting them on screen together. Aside from their color-coded costumes, Jordan and the film give each of these brothers enough distinguished traits to make it easy to tell them apart. Jordan also projects enough confidence, menace, and empathy with both characters to make them fearsome and sympathetic antiheroes.

On top of that, Sinners populates its world with plenty of life as Smoke and Stack assemble characters to help out at their juke joint like they’re assembling the Avengers. Each character presents a rich backstory in such little time, making it easy for audiences to empathize and connect with them, which makes seeing them bite the dust even harder.

These supporting players are also elevated by the actors portraying them. Miles Caton is a revelation as the blues-singing Sammie, who has a voice that moves mountains and makes movie magic. Hailee Steinfeld strikes the right balance of confidence and vulnerability in her performance as Mary. Delroy Lindo brings plenty of pathos and fiery comic relief as Delta Slim. Finally, Jack O’Connell plays the vampire Remmick perfectly as the devilishly charismatic villain that everyone knows they should fear but is nevertheless compelling.

A visual and musical marvel

In his second collaboration with cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Ryan Coogler paints a vast and immersive portrait of 1930s Mississippi fitting for this epic blockbuster. Sinners delivers several breathtaking visuals captured on both Ultra Panavision 70mm and 15-perf 70mm IMAX cameras. Each frame of this film captures its world with such scope, detail, and beauty that not witnessing it all in a theater would feel like a sin to cinephiles.

The movie’s various musical numbers also make it a remarkable new addition to the horror genre as a whole. The film reaches a crescendo when Sammie’s music summons spirits from the past and future to play and dance with, assembling styles and instruments from different generations in an incredible long take that turns Sinners into a mind-blowing, cinematic orchestra. At the same time, composer Ludwig Göransson makes the film even more immersive with another outstanding original score.

A creative and distinctive social horror story

Given the countless vampire stories that have been made over the years, Sinners could’ve been just another addition to the genre. Sinners does feature elements that harken back to Salem’s Lot, Night of the Living Dead, The Thing, and From Dusk Till Dawn. However, Coogler presents a fresh new take on classic vampires with his film, utilizing Southern folklore and setting the story in the Jim Crow-era South with plenty of blood-pumping action and frightening scares to keep audiences’ eyes glued to the screen.

Sinners also makes room to send some powerful messages about prejudice and race relations in America, with the Ku Klux Klan’s hanging over this movie until its explosive finale. On the other hand, Coogler cleverly uses vampires as symbols of the suppression of Black people and culture, as they try to steal Sammie’s music and kill and assimilate everyone at the juke joint. However, by tempting its characters with the promise of eternal life filled with “love and fellowship,” Remmick and his vampire cohort are a perfect, well-rounded contrast to the lead duo, who seek to build a new life for themselves in a country that seems determined to tear them down.

Is Sinners worth a watch?

Absolutely. Sinners is the coolest horror movie of the decade. Ryan Coogler may have become a household name by directing films based on existing properties, including Creed and Black Panther. However, with his incredible new vampire movie, Coogler has established himself as one of the most ambitious and inventive directors of modern cinema. Here’s hoping that Sinners will result in even more original projects by Coogler.

Sinners is now playing in theaters.