Every so often a teaser or announcement comes along that can capture your attention and have you saying, “Oh, I definitely want to see that!” That was the case when audiences left CinemaCon last year after getting a video message from director Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan letting us know they were working on a vampire flick. Fast forward a year later and now the highly anticipated Sinners is here — and boy, was it worth the wait.
Set in the 1930s Jim Crow era, this marks the fifth collaboration to come from the one-of-a-kind chemistry that radiates when Coogler and Jordan team up. The film follows Smoke and Stack, a set of twins (both played by Jordan) that return to their hometown in hopes of restarting and beginning a new life. After running into some money, they decide to purchase some land and open up a bar equipped with food, drinks, and good ole blues music. It’s only a matter of time before the twins realize that something evil lurks within the town they know and love. The cast is filled with a talented bunch of actors that include Hailee Steinfeld, Omar Benson Miller, Li Jun Li, Delroy Lindo, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Jack O’Connell, and breakout newcomer Miles Caton.
It’s important to highlight one of the stars of Sinners: the music. The fierce and sexy way blues music is intertwined in each scene is captivating and propels you back to a time when instruments and bold, beautiful voices were so prominent. You can’t help but be mesmerized by the piercing sounds of the harmonica or the plucking of guitar strings as it so heavily adds to the story. Music becomes its own character and ultimately contributes to how much you end up enjoying the film.
Steinfeld and Mosaku play the love interests of the twins, and each of the leading ladies brings some spice to their roles. Steinfeld wows with her vulgar language and her perfect execution of the accent of a Southern belle. Her chemistry with Jordan is intense and hot, creating an on-screen duo we didn’t know we needed until now. While Mosaku’s character, Annie, is truly the heart of the film, there’s something more important to point out. It is beyond captivating to have cast Mosaku as one of Jordan’s love interests as it isn’t so often we see curvy Black women in such a role opposite a heartthrob. To add the cherry on top, throwing in a subtle love scene takes it up a notch, and whoever wrote that into the script deserves a million kudos.
Truth be told, you can watch this movie a million times trying to search for a flaw and I can guarantee you won’t find it. It’s genuinely perfect from beginning to end and has an emotional piece you wouldn’t expect from a thriller. Anyone who watches the film might think it’s just your regular old vampire flick, but they’d be extremely wrong as there are many layers to it. This is without a doubt Coogler’s best project to date, and arguably Jordan’s as well, especially given the fact that he had to play two roles opposite of himself.
That kind of dedicated hard work alone is worth shining light on. Sinners is sexy and bloody, all set to a jamming soundtrack that you can’t help but tap your feet to throughout the movie. There’s truly nothing like it and for that reason, it is imperative that you see this in 70mm IMAX if you have one locally. The difference it makes seeing this in such a crisp format with the best possible audio for the musical elements is worth the few extra dollars for the experience.
The supporting cast all did their thing, but Caton is a standout in his first major role. Playing Sammy, cousin to Smoke and Stack, he sings his heart out all while strumming the guitar, and wows audiences with every note he belts out. He’s talented enough to take on a career in music. When I recently sat down to chat with him for BGN, he said, “I’m trying to maximize the opportunity so I’m definitely working on music…” It’s rare that a newcomer stands out in a sea full of veterans, but Caton does so effortlessly and should be commended for it.
In conclusion, Sinners is hands down the best movie of the year for many reasons. Coogler’s unique approach to incorporating vampires in a way that hasn’t been done before is utterly genius and deserves the highest praise. In a world where dry sequels and repeat remakes are churned out left and right, it can pose a challenge to curate a fresh take on a familiar theme. This wasn’t a problem for Coogler as he easily delivered a film that will be talked about for years to come. Sinners truly redefines what it means to be a horror film, especially with having some wild twists and turns and an ending that was worthy of audiences breaking out into roaring applause.
Sinners premieres in theaters nationwide April 18th.