Ryan Coogler has redefined the vampire horror genre with Sinners, an incredibly crafted cinematic experience that goes beyond dealing with the literal devils at your door.
Sinners Movie Review
I know it's only the third week of April and the Summer blockbuster season hasn't even started but I can confidently say Sinners is solidly the best movie of the year, at least so far. Vampires aren't new and it can be tricky to add anything of meaning to their lore given how long stories about them have been told. These creatures have long been an allegory for lessons on morality as well as cautionary tales for the dangers that happen when you let evil into your life. Each storyteller has their own take on what these “devils” represent, but it's been a long time since someone has created something this powerful.
Writer/director Ryan Coogler's Sinners is not only a bloody vampiric delight but it's an incredibly crafted cinematic experience. From its rich story, amazing score, and precise camerawork to the powerful and charismatic duel performance by Michael B. Jordan, Sinners deserves every bit of the praise being thrown its way. Coogler has a lot of big ideas he is working with and he makes each and every one of them work without compromising his narrative or taking the easy way out. This story, one that he has said is his most personal yet, goes well beyond the gothic nature of the genre for a tale about what we inherit from our families/ancestors (good and bad) and how that can inform the way we live our lives. It's a gritty folktale, an ambitious period piece that is hauntingly relevant, and a daring crowd-pleaser. What more could you want?
It's the 1930s in Mississippi, and in this world, some musicians have the power to pierce the veil between the past and future, the natural and the supernatural. Sammie (Miles Caton in his first-ever acting role), the son of a preacher, is one of them. One morning, covered in blood and wounds, Sammie stumbles into his father's church, broken guitar in hand. But despite the horrors he has clearly witnessed, he can't seem to put the instrument down. What happened? Well Sinners then turns the clock back to the previous day, when his cousins, Smoke (Michael B. Jordan) and Stack (also Jordan) return to town after spending time in Chicago. The infamous “Smokestack Twins” have a plan to open a Juke Joint on the outskirts of town. They rally all their friends and frenemies from their past: Smoke’s estranged wife and healer Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), grocers Grace (Li Jun Li) and Bo (Yao), a sharecropper named Cornbread (Omar Miller), and local legendary blues player Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo). Slim and Sammie will play, Cornbread will be the bouncer, Annie will cook, and Grace and Bo will supply the food, signage, and whatever else the twins need from their store. But opening night attracts some unwanted and deadly visitors.
The first half of Sinners is slow-burning, taking time to establish the setting and introduce you to the supporting characters that Smoke, Stack, and Sammie interact with. From those mentioned above to Sammie's crush Pearline (Jayme Lawson) and Stack's jilted ex-lover Mary (Hailee Steinfeld), Coogler makes you care about these people, their history, and their wellbeing. It's what makes the second half of the film pack such a devastating and scary blow. Because now you must watch some get taken by the vampires, grieving alongside those on the screen. Anyone who knows anything about vampires knows exactly what Remmick (Jack O'Connell), the deceptively charming devil that comes to the Juke Joint's door, is and why he is there. His “peace and fellowship” facade quickly deteriorates, leaving in its place a bloodthirsty monster with a terrifying grin.
Coogler pulls off something many have tried and failed over the years– expertly balancing the classic vampire rules with their own additions to the lore. No sparkly skinned killers here, Remmick is the quintessential seductive monster, offering his own version of heaven on Earth to anyone who invites him in. The subtext here is far more fascinating, as Remmick's desire to “save” Sammie represents the on-going fight against colonizers. Remmick represents all those people who wish to take the hard work, uniqueness, and creativity of other cultures and make it their own, effectively erasing the history of the people they stole from. The allure of what Remmick is offering is where Coogler pivots from the traditional seduction we see in these films. It's not about sex, but about the idea that everyone is accepted in the vampire group regardless of skin color, gender, or age. A world without racism is a dream for us today, so just imagine how enticing it would be to people of color in the 1930s.
Storytelling aside, Coogler, along with his Wakanda Forever cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, has created a visceral sensory experience with Sinners. One such standout moment is during the twins' quest to round up all their friends. Slim recounts a story about his friend being lynched. The sounds of what happened in that memory play over the scene, a symbolic and harrowing juxtaposition against the bright sunlight. Another is when Sammie first performs at the Juke Joint. And from the moment he begins until the last note is sung, Coogler, Arkapaw, editor Michael P. Shawver, and everyone involved transport us to a dreamlike sequence that has to be seen to be believed. In what feels like one large single take, the audience is swept around the old saw mill, completely immersed in the music of the past, present, and future. It's without a doubt going to be one of the most memorable scenes in a film this year and beyond. Special mention needs to go to composer Ludwig Göransson's amazing bluesy score as well as Caton's soulful musical performance. Miraculously, Sinners hits those highs and still has plenty more to show off as the confrontation with the vampires looms.
Jordan pulls double duty here, giving not one but two powerhouse performances. Smoke and Stack might be twins but one is reserved while the other is impulsive. He is able to convey their differences as much as their similarities with things as obvious as his words and as subtle as his mannerisms. Costume designer Ruth E. Carter (the legend) also gives the brothers their own distinct styles to further tell them apart from one another. (Her costume work in this film as a whole is not surprisingly remarkable.) Caton is a breakout star and I hope we see him in more films in the future, singing or not. Steinfield and Mosaku give multi-layered performances. Thankfully these two are fully developed women with more to their story than just simply being the former flame of a SmokeStack twin.
Verdict
Sinners is the rare film that is firing on all cylinders from start to finish. Everything from the way Coogler wrote his story to the music and the cinematic experience of it all is absolutely incredible. Jordan turns out a powerful and charismatic duel performance, solidifying why he is one of the best actors working. Caton is impressive, O'Connell a scene-stealer, alongside a hardworking and memorable supporting cast. Coogler has outdone himself here, crafting something that is deeply emotional, sensual, ambitious, and perfectly bloody. This is one crowd-pleaser you'll be happy you invited into your life.
Sinners is in theaters April 18. It is rated R for strong bloody violence, sexual content and language with a runtime of 2 hours and 17 minutes.
Leave a Reply