Ryan Coogler has created an original masterpiece of the horror genre that absolutely oozes with a love for the art of filmmaking.
“Sinners” follows identical twins Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan) as they open a juke joint in 1932 Mississippi. After meeting with their cousin Sammie (Miles Caton), they recruit Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo), Pearline (Jayme Lawson), Annie (Wunmi Mosaku) and others to create music and run the joint. That night the club is a rousing success until everything is turned upside down by the vampiric Remmick (Josh O’Connell) who wants to free them from the society they are trapped in by turning them into vampires.
Ryan Coogler’s intricately crafted vampire tale weaves in the cultural legends of vampires from throughout history with the rich African American music culture like no other director has done. There isn’t a single piece of plot that is shoved to the side in favor of another. Coogler keeps a delicate balance of each piece so that they perfectly play off of each other during every moment of the movie.
The performances are absolutely fantastic. Michael B. Jordan plays both twins and makes each of them feel similar enough that they are believable as twin brothers, but different enough that they don’t become a single character. This is by far Jordan’s best performance in his career.
Hailee Steinfeld is also giving a career-best performance and plays both sides of her character incredibly well. Josh O’Connell plays the Irish vampire Remmick in such a charismatic way that his evil ideals don’t seem that bad at first and at some points it seems like he is morally good.
Even with these three powerhouse performances the stand out is Miles Caton, who absolutely takes over the screen in his debut film role. Every performance helps elevate the already great dialogue and each contributes to the amazing atmosphere in the film.
This is one of the best looking movies I’ve seen in a while. The color grading is done fantastically and the use of 70mm cameras comes through during a regular IMAX and even a non-IMAX screening. The lighting feels deliberate at all times and builds with the mood of the movie rather than simply being there so that we can see what’s going on.
Each set is realistic and creates an ambiance that is unmatched by most other movies. Because of this many scenes in “Sinners” are truly breathtaking to watch unfold.
The theming of the movie is beautifully done and uses the vampiric element to contextualize, deepen, and elevate the setting of the Jim Crow era Southern United States in a very unique way.
Although Remmick is the villain he almost feels like the lesser of two evils in many ways because of the looming threat that the American society surrounding the characters has on them. The first half of the movie builds this society up and shows the almost subtle evil that surrounds Smoke and Stack even in the absence of any supernatural threat.
By far the most striking and important piece of the movie is the music and it is spectacular on all fronts. Ludwig Göransson wrote the score for “Sinners” and if he hadn’t already proved it with “Oppenheimer” two years ago, this movie unequivocally shows that he is one of the best film composers of the 21st century.
Many of the original songs are surrounded by meaningful scenes such as “I Lied to You” which is surrounded by a mixture of past, present, and future music styles to create a visual representation of the way music can connect you to your ancestors.
“Sinners” is a monumental piece of original film that sets a new standard for what horror movies and vampire movies can achieve. Through the use of deep theming, a fantastically built setting, and awe-striking music, Ryan Coogler has created what may be the best movie of the year.
Directed by Ryan Coogler
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Delroy Lindo, Li Jun Li
Rated R
Runtime: 138 minutes
My Rating: ★★★★★
This article originally appeared in the May 2025 edition of The Commuter.
