With its star-studded cast and a powerhouse director behind the camera, “Sinners” had some high expectations following the first trailer — yet the film still manages to exceed them.
While the first half of the film is a bit of a slow burn, it is never boring, and it makes the eventual shift from what feels like a period piece into a full-blown vampire action-horror film.
The film follows twin brothers called Smoke and Stack, both played by Michael B. Jordan, along with their cousin Sammie, played by Miles Caton, as they work to start up a juke joint for the African American community in 1932 rural Mississippi. Their attempts at bringing the community together through music are interrupted by vampires.
Director Ryan Coogler is able to infuse African American music culture and history with vampire lore in a way that few others would consider. And it completely works.
Everyone in this film brings their A-game. Jordan stunningly pulls off playing twin brothers, giving each a very clear personality and story.
Hailee Steinfeld as Mary, Stack’s ex-girlfriend, gives a great performance that becomes especially entertaining once vampires get involved. Delroy Lindo, who some may know from his performance as Paul in Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods,” gives an amazing performance as a piano player called Delta Slim, who acts as both a form of comic relief but also a source of wisdom for many of the other characters.
Miles Caton gives a phenomenal performance throughout the film. But it is when he starts singing that the viewer is treated to one of the best scenes in the film, which everyone has to experience. The main vampire, Remmick, is played by Jack O’Connell, and every time he is on screen, it is a real treat, being both entertaining and terrifying in his unpredictability.
In many ways, unpredictability is one of the best ways to describe this film. If you think you know where a scene might go, guess again. This film plays with your expectations at multiple points in the best way possible.
While the film has several creepy and disturbing scenes with a handful of jump scares, it doesn’t exactly scare you in the way that a traditional horror film seeks to. However, this isn’t a drawback in any way, unless someone comes in with the expectation that it is a straight horror film.
As a film set in the early 20th century South, it has its way of dealing with segregation and the racism that was highly prevalent at this time in American history. Coogler is able to highlight the racial tensions of the time throughout the film, along with the conflict with the vampires, in a way that is likely to impress audiences.
“Sinners” is a film that absolutely needs to be seen in theaters. Too many great films have found themselves bombing at the box office for one reason or another, and this film shouldn’t be one of them. It is able to make vampire lore feel fresh in the 1930s South while also providing some amazing action sequences and musical numbers.
Words don’t do it enough justice, and the ticket price is well worth the experience.
Rating: 5/5 stars