Vampires. They’re not new. They’re not original. In fact, the vampire is an important horror icon going back more than a century. With his hotly anticipated next movie, Sinners, Ryan Coogler jumps into the oft-traveled sub-genre. Expectations are high. Will this hot and sweaty horror film put audiences under its thrall? Or should Sinners be staked through the heart?
Sinners
Friends, I’m not sure if it’s quite possible to summarize Sinners. There’s a lot going on here. The story follows twins (Michael B. Jordan in dual roles) returning to their hometown to open a “juke joint.” In the process of setting up the nightclub, they bring together friends from their past to join them. However, as things take shape on their opening night, they’re besieged by nightmarish figures. Ryan Coogler directs Sinners from his own script. Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Li Jun Li, Delroy Lindo, Jayme Lawson, Hailee Steinfeld, Omar Benson Miller and Tenaj L. Jackson co-star in the movie.
In Sinners, Ryan Coogler creates something truly difficult to categorize. However, this dramatic horror musical is a thing of true beauty. While it’s not a musical in the old Hollywood tradition, Sinners utilizes its musical sequences to establish the world, craft the environment, and powerfully dictate the scene’s rhythm. Keep an eye out for an apparent single take toward the middle of the film that seems fueled by the musical beat alone. Truthfully? Coogler’s masterful directing this time out needs to be remembered as we inch closer to awards season.
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Familiar Yet Unique
Sinners is a film that manages to feel utterly familiar yet completely unique all at the same time. Coogler’s script drops audiences into the Depression-era South, keeping almost a hands-off strategy to the storytelling. These electric characters lead us through this visceral world as this story unfolds. The audience learns about these people as we go. For much of the first two acts, the narrative drifts and meanders through the story, and we live with these characters quite a lot. We get to know them intimately.
This has the potential effect of feeling a bit slow, especially for those ready and waiting for the horror. The film comes in at a healthy two hours and 20 minutes, and for the first half, we’re sitting with this story. We learn about this sweaty, sultry world. Initially, this even feels like a stately character drama … until the chaos erupts.
Sinners rests on the shoulders of its phenomenally talented cast. This is, of course, led by the always formidable Michael B. Jordan as the twin brothers, Smoke and Stack. The action, though, is seen through the eyes of young Sammie Moore (Caton), the son of a local preacher. Despite this being Caton’s first movie role, the young actor cuts a memorable figure, especially in the musical sequences. It’s hard to take your eyes off him.
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A Love for the Genre
Sinners is, without giving away too much, a vampire story. Luckily, Coogler avoids reveling too much in the lore and slowing down the script. We learn things quickly, but Sinners trusts its audience. It’s not always necessary to roadmap and telegraph each exposition point. Even many horror neophytes are bound to understand the most basic tenets of vampire lore. Audiences are smarter than Hollywood often gives them credit for, and Sinners understands this.
The film’s horror elements are frighteningly flexible, and while, as mentioned, Sinners feels incredibly original, Coogler wears his love of the genre on his sleeve. The story is at ease with the body and gore horror common to the vampire sub-genre. For those with a squeamish constitution, this might not be the movie for you. However, fans of works like The Thing and From Dusk Till Dawn should find a lot to love with this movie. Sequences throughout the action-packed second and third acts are deeply reminiscent of these horror staples.
Sinners is an experience that sneaks up on you and takes you on a journey. It might be a tense and blood-soaked one towards the end of the movie, but as a horror fan, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Director Ryan Coogler feels completely at ease with the constantly shifting tone, and his camera crafts an infectious rhythm. Combine this sharp style with dominant performances from the talented troop of actors, Sinners is most certainly a must-see.
Sinners opens in theaters around the country on April 18, 2025.
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