After years of working inside franchises, Ryan Coogler finally wrote and directed an original movie.
And it’s more than worth the wait.
I’ll try to keep this as spoiler free as possible because you should really go into this movie knowing as little as you can.
“Sinners” is set in 1930s Mississippi, and follows the Smokestack Twins (Michael B. Jordan) and Sammie Moore (Miles Caton) as they try to create a juke club tailored to the local Black community.
Set firmly in the horror/thriller genre, things go awry when a trio of white musicians request to be let in, though their intentions are more sinister than they first appear.
Coogler does something more horror writers should do. He lets the audience learn the characters and story before the killing starts. Calling “Sinners” a slow burn feels disingenuous, because at no point does the film drag. It’s constantly entertaining, but it still lets the characters and their relationships breathe before throwing us into the plot.
It’s a testament to Coogler’s writing that each character feels distinct, no matter how small their role is. It’s also boosted by an all-star cast.
Jordan shines in his starring role as both Smokestack Twins. Each twin is clearly different, while still having similar enough mannerisms to believe they grew up together. This might be his single best performance, as he disappears into the twins in a way that only the best actors can.
Hailee Steinfeld also impresses in a more limited role, as do Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo and Jayme Lawson, but the real star among the supporting actors is Caton. The man is in his first ever film appearance, and he might just win an Oscar for it. It’s easy to believe the electrifying power of his music in the movie because he performs at a ridiculous level.
“Sinners” is also one of the most visually striking movies of the past several years. The constant focus on lighting gets more apparent as more is revealed to the audience, but the way the film is constructed is just plain gorgeous.
Whether it be the one-takes through bustling streets or aspect ratio changes right before the climax, this movie feels like it was constructed with film nerds in mind. There’s a sequence toward the middle of the movie that is one of the most breathtakingly created moments ever put to film. I won’t spoil it for those who haven’t seen it, but when Sammie starts singing at the party, just know you’re in for a treat.
It’s impossible to discuss “Sinners” without its messaging. Sometimes subtle, sometimes overt, the film is largely about white exploitation of Black culture, labor and people. It’s no accident the party only takes a turn for the worse once white musicians appear.
Coogler’s decision to set the film in the 1930s shows those who don’t know how similar the sharecropping practices of the Jim Crow era were to early American slavery.
The whole movie is essentially a history lesson. For all of America’s existence, white people have co-opted Black culture, exploited their talents to keep them suppressed and, when all else fails, resorted to violence to keep them out of power.
“Sinners” is a beautiful, engaging and poignant reminder of our nation’s history. There are so many things that this movie does expertly that it’s impossible to cover them all (I didn’t even get to Ludwig Göransson’s haunting score).
Just know that this film firmly cements Ryan Coogler as one of the best writer/directors of the 21st century, and if it keeps performing well at the box office, hopefully we’ll get to see more from him with complete creative control.
As it stands, “Sinners” is a staggering achievement of filmmaking. It’s firing on all cylinders 100% of the time, and it should be seen on the biggest screen possible as soon as possible.
