When asked to name the directors whose latest films I want to see instantly, it’s a prompt that doesn’t elicit much reaction from me, as I am happy to see so many different filmmakers’ work. Now, when considering true event filmmakers, the directors who are just as likely as the stars to bring in the audiences, there really only are a handful. Right now, coming alongside the Nolans and Tarantinos, I think there’s a good argument to make for Ryan Coogler. Sinners is only the fifth film from the Oakland-born director, but after the small indie that launched his career (the terrific Fruitvale Station), Coogler has carved out a place for him to deliver big-screen entertainment that welcomes all audiences, whether its franchise fair or not while pushing a for recognition of Black culture in each of his movies. Between these choices and his way of matching heartfelt stories with grand filmmaking techniques such as using IMAX cameras, it’s a unique sort of success that has carried over into this period/supernatural film. Stylish, sexy, scary, and full of horror violence, Sinners is a wild feature with plenty on its mind, further showing what Coogler can accomplish at the height of his powers. However, I’m not even convinced that he’s reached the peak of his capabilities.
The film is set in the Jim Crow South during the 1930s. Michael B. Jordan stars in a dual role as brothers Smoke and Stack, who have returned to their hometown to escape their troubled past. While they have their own way of doing things, the brothers have decided to build a juke joint where the community can come together for music, dancing, gambling, and good eatin’ and drinkin’. Of course, given the era, there’s a good chance trouble may arise from Klan members in the area. However, even more sinister are the dark forces that not only concern some family secrets but will use the night to launch a real threat. All must be dealt with using stakes, spells, fire, or whatever works.
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It’s great seeing Coogler mix it up in terms of genre, and that speaks to his move out of the superhero realm for now, along with splicing together a few different genres to deliver what Sinners is. The film works as a compelling period drama, complete with various colorful characters, drawing on the talents of Delroy Lindo, Wunmi Mosaku, Hailee Steinfeld, Omar Benson Miller, and newcomer Miles Caton, among others. There’s an approach to all of these characters when it comes to establishing what helps them stand out, along with some efforts to follow along with them through other chronological means to show how much editing can help a film feel unique.
Then there’s the supernatural side of Sinners, which isn’t exactly a secret. While a film like Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn (which surely gave Coogler some inspiration) is the type of movie someone could watch at random for the first time, unassuming in where it will go, Sinners has films like John Carpenter’s The Thing in mind as well, meaning it will be just a matter of time until we see what kind of monstrous evil it is that these characters will have to deal with. This is where other characters, including the movie’s main villain, Remmick (Jack O’Connell), come in. Fortunately, there’s also more on the mind of a film like this, as opposed to just setting up characters for the sake of having them killed later in the story.
Of course, having Jordan here in a dual role deserves plenty of attention. Their differences are clear, as one brother is more hot-headed and impulsive than the other. That said, I can appreciate both being people who have lived complex lives and have seen enough forms of evil to know how to handle themselves. With strong themes surrounding brotherhood and family, Jordan gets plenty to work with here, and his collaborations with Coogler have always been especially worthwhile. It’s no real surprise to see him shine as either character. Watching him balance multiple kinds of movies only adds to his effectiveness.
Having the rest of this excellent ensemble speaks to the joy that comes from movies that know how to build out a world and feel lived in. While Sinners can eventually be boiled down to becoming a siege film, there’s enough use of the budget to flesh out the small community and make this engaged cast feel like they are adding to what’s been constructed. As the story progresses, the different relationships also go a long way in building on our sympathies. Given the horrors that unfold and how Remmick conducts his affairs, it’s alarming and sad when various members of this group fall and become a part of the evil out there in different ways.
Wisely, Coogler’s script does what it can to draw comparisons between Remmick and the Black community he’s coming after. As an Irishman who has also been scorned by parts of America, the way he relates some of his woes, as well as shows off aspects of culture (singin’ and dancin’ come up again), is not exactly showing the audience how great this guy actually is, but there is something there. Developing a complex villain in this sort of story, especially one rooted in race to varying degrees, means getting a horror movie that, not unlike other greats, wants to grapple with society in relevant ways. If there’s one thing Sinners is doing, it’s undoubtedly speaking to today by way of mashing together elements of old fantasy and what the South once contended with in more intense ways.
In pushing for a different look at how the past informs the present, one must address this film’s musical arrangements. Oscar-winner Ludwig Göransson is back with Coogler to truly dive into Southern culture. But that’s not all. Without delving too far into the story (and why Caton should become a breakout star, given his role in all of this), the score is not only great, but a mid-movie musical sequence finds a fascinating way to essentially scroll through time in how it presents the film’s perspective on what these people are responding too and what it is representative of, regardless of what kind of opposition will be faced again and again.
To capture all of this, here’s another way Sinners pulls out all the stops, which is an example of why Coogler stands tall among other filmmakers and what options they have for showing off their movies. Shot by DP Autum Durald Arkapaw, the movie uses a combination of IMAX 70 mm and Ultra Panavision cameras to give a grand presentation of everything the audience sees. Saying one should see this movie on the biggest screen possible should go without saying. In terms of why, well, it’s because of how gorgeous the film looks, the kind of power it gives to the characters by having them appear so large in individual shots, and what it means to see a director conduct so much action within a massive frame that must account for so many elements at one time.
And while I’m here praising the construction of this film, let’s take some time to go over how much this film oozes with style. Even with the inherent sweatiness that comes from placing all these characters in the South, the costumes are fantastic, everyone looks great, and the movie knows how to embrace the idea of seeing seduction play out to the fullest of ways when it comes to the kind of classic monsters featured in this story. On top of that, the visual effects and period aesthetic mesh well together as far as seeing how the action plays out, the level of bloodiness that arrives, and other results related to how one reacts to scary creatures of the night during the 1930s. At around 130 minutes, this is not a film that takes shortcuts to make sense of itself, and it pays off when considering how all these pieces come together.
I had a grand time with Sinners. Watching a filmmaker so confidently approach an original story, drawing inspiration from other classics while marching to the beat of his own drum, is a true thrill. Having it come from a Black director who wants to specifically address certain themes and concepts in a manner that proves to be incredibly entertaining and constructed in a way that makes the film all the richer only adds to what audiences are getting. On top of all that, this fantastic cast puts in the effort to deliver memorable characters or at least groups of people you can invest in when considering what they are up against. All of this allows for an exciting, inventive vision to come to life and look and sound great in the process. It makes for one hell of a fright night at the movie theaters.
Sinners opens in theaters and IMAX on April 18, 2025.
