SINNERS

Directors
Ryan Coogler

Starring
Michael B Jordan
Miles Caton
Jack O’Connell
Wunmi Mosaku

Set in 1932, identical twin gangsters – Smoke and Stack both played by Michael B Jordan – return from a life of crime in Chicago to their hometown in the Mississippi Delta. Upon arrival, they intend to setup a niche juke joint to serve their community. Which means turning a profit with stolen liquor, serving the best food, and playing irresistible music with the help of their gifted young cousin, Sammie [Caton]. Unfortunately, the transportive tones of Sammie’s songs attracts the mysterious and dangerous Remmick [O’Connell], who threatens the entire night.

While I’ve kept that opening description vague, this is a genre pivot feature; a movie that starts as one thing and pulls a complete handbrake turn to deliver something entirely different – capturing a From Dusk Til Dawn energy that you don’t see coming. All of which only works, of course, if both halves lean into their respective tropes and absurdities. Meaning in the first half you have a criminal setup (the characters, the town, the pending opening night) that has to perfectly establish itself and immediately hook you. From the way Smoke and Stack command respect and fear, shooting men down in the street to send a message, calling in favours, and visiting old friends – there’s a wealth of history that intrigues and grabs you. But then, once we get to the supernatural twist, the movie hands off those core elements and throws them in the deep end of a vampire horror feature, with all the gory pay off one would hope for. I could quite happily watch an entire feature that committed to one or the other but the balance here works well.

And yet, there is a third current running through this film. Yes, we have the Southern States bootlegging gangster drama, as well as the Assault On Precinct 13 tension of a single location set upon by adversaries, but this movie is driven and woven together by a love for music. More than a crowbarred afterthought, this film has been built from the ground up with music in mind. Meaning we get not only a truly spectacular soundtrack, but a beating heart that resonates throughout, designed to showcase how important music is to us as human beings, and how it has been used as a source of identity, expression, and escape for black people for centuries. Powerful, important, and eternal. At it’s darkest and most joyous, it is quite simply rapturous. Which, oddly enough, is one of the central plot themes – as both a positive and terrifying negative.

In addition to the stellar sound work, the visuals are also incredibly considered. As a lover of the medium of film (and shooting on film specifically), Coogler has shot in both an ultra wide 70mm aspect ratio, as well as the incredibly tall IMAX ratio. When most directors opt for this, there’s a tendency to pull a Michael Bay and just sporadically show off “the best shots” with thick black bars jumping in and out of entire scenes. Or alternatively, you get a Christopher Nolan with a focus on single scenes or stunning landscape vistas to make a point of scale. Instead, Coogler has chosen specific narrative moments and actively filmed for them with the two different film stocks. It’s wonderfully bold and ambitious and, maybe doesn’t always work, but it stands proudly and defiantly as an artistic choice that illustrates how well he understands the power of cinematic expression.

Stepping away from the technical aspects, this is a movie stacked with dominant performances. Jordan in his dual role as the reckless cock-sure Stack and the cynical worldweary Smoke is fantastic, giving a brilliant and seamless portrayal of duality. Then we have the stoic and sagacious Annie [Mosaku], O’Connell as the dangerously beguiling Remmick, Delroy Lindo being magnificently charming as ever, the no nonsense Lu Jun Li and, possibly most importantly, the debut of Miles Caton as the young, keen to prove himself, Sammie. Naturally Caton exudes class and charisma when singing and playing, but the juxtaposition between his character and the twins is just wonderful.

There are genuinely only a handful of films that feel important for how bold, singular and unabashed they are. This is one of them. So much so that any flaws are dwarfed. Yes there are a handful of ropey CGI shots, some discordant pacing, and a few big swings that won’t land for everyone. But it’s audacious. Sinners is a movie that is saying something underneath the sheen of its presentation. Much like Get Out or Sorry To Bother You, this film takes the mainstream audience Coogler has cultivated and subtly explains why the path to success in America will cost you your soul. How, for an African American, you can be welcomed by those who despise you but it will come at a price and is solely because they want to envelope and utilise your talents for their own purposes. There are predators in the night, and they will turn everyone against you to bleed you dry.

Put simply, Sinners is a phenomenally personal film masquerading as entertaining schlock. It deserves to be seen by a huge audience and become Coogler’s most successful release because it’s very possibly his best movie to date.

Release Date:
18 April 2025

The Scene To Look Out For:
The juke performance that spans the ages is obviously the standout. It’s what will be most memorable for so many and is one of the most “just get on board with it” moments that sweeps you up in a wonderful fever dream. But, for me, it’s the foreshadowing of this scene that really cuts deep. Driving to the juke, Delroy Lindo’s character spies a chain gang and shouts at them to keep their heads held high. He then goes on to tell the story of playing for rich white people and how his friend tried to take the money for the job and get out of town; only to be apprehended and lynched at the train station – all of which is heard as overlaid audio. And during his recounting, when it all becomes too much Lindo begins stamping and harmonising his pain into a soulful humming. Which is the perfect embodiment of where blues comes from and its importance as a coping mechanism for people. When you feel trapped and so full of pain, what else do you have but the music?

Notable Characters:
Two supporting characters of note: Hailee Steinfeld and Jack O’Connell. On the one hand, you have a very American story about passing, about growing up in and around the black community but still on the fringe because despite your ancestry, you pass for white. And how that can ostracise you from both. And then there’s the fascinating hinted backstory of Remmick, an Irishman-turned-vampire who now stalks the US south, occasionally slipping into his mother tongue while gleefully renouncing the religious shackles that crippled his homeland, and the anthemic music that got his people through it – as seen in the twisted rendition of The Rocky Road To Dublin.

Highlighted Quote:
“Blues wasn’t forced on us. We brought this from our home. It’s sacred and big.”

In A Few Words:
“Both extravagant and simply stated, darting from one idea to another, Sinners is the work of a master.”

Total Score: 5/5