Movie Review: Sinners

Ever since the Covid-induced lockdown of 2020, movie theater attendance has been down pretty significantly. As a result, Hollywood studios have been more risk averse than ever, largely banking on known IP to get people in the door at the expense of more challenging fare. So, it’s refreshing to see a big studio like Warner Bros. giving a director the kind of budget they did to Ryan Coogler to make an audacious film like Sinners.

Returning to their hometown in the Mississippi Delta after serving in World War I and then working for Al Capone in Chicago, twin brothers Elijah “Smoke” and Elias “Stack” Moore (both played by Michael B. Jordan) purchase an old sawmill and plan to quickly open it as a juke joint. For entertainment at their new establishment, they recruit their cousin Sammie (Miles Caton), a talented singer and guitar player whose father is a local pastor, along with pianist Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo) and singer Pearline (Jayme Lawson). For staff they enlist Smoke’s wife Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), local shop owners Bo (Yao) and Grace (Li Jun Li), and field worker Cornbread (Omar Benson Miller).

Opening night quickly proves to be a huge success, though not without some drama including the arrival of Stack’s ex-girlfriend, the white-passing Mary (Hailee Steinfeld). But the headaches that come with launching a night spot will pale in comparison to what awaits them all after Sammie’s musicianship proves so transcendent and powerful that it catches the attention of Remmick (Jack O’Connell), an Irish-immigrant vampire.

While in some ways the plot feels similar to Robert Rodriquez’s over-the-top 1996 gorefest From Dusk Till Dawn, this is a far more ambitious affair. Anchored by an exceptionally strong cast, Coogler uses his vampire tale to tackle oppression and human resilience as well as the power of music. Mixing period blues with an impressive score by Ludwig Göransson, in Sinners songs help the characters to acknowledge and heal from their pain, to have a moment of escape from it, to celebrate what’s good in their lives, and to honor all those who came before. A character mentions that music can be “so pure it can pierce the veil between life and death, past and future” and when the party is in full swing we see and hear exactly what they mean.

This is still a vampire movie though, and about halfway through the mayhem begins. Coogler effectively generates suspense as the growing number of bloodsuckers launches their gory attack, culminating in some well-choreographed chaos. Remmick’s goal isn’t what you would expect however, and it becomes hard to tell if you want to root for or against him.

Well plotted and wildly entertaining with a killer soundtrack, this is a masterful bit of popcorn entertainment that also has more serious matters on its mind. It’s great that Coogler was given the money to make exactly the movie he wanted to and his and the cast’s passion for the material is evident in every frame. By blending arthouse ambitions with pulpy fun he has crafted one of my favorite movies of the year so far. ★★★★★