Sinners
Sinners is playing in theaters at the time of writing. Rated R. Common Sense says 16+.
Twin brothers (both played by Michael B. Jordan) return to Jim Crow Mississippi. Looking to start a new life, they soon discover that untold horrors await them.
STORY: A
An alluring symphony of terrors.
It’s got thrilling set pieces. It’s full of complex relationships. It’s a coming of age story. It glimmers with symbolic historical commentary.
Like the many sections of an orchestra, all of these story elements combine to build a beautiful, woundrous sound. And with writer-director Ryan Coogler standing at the conductor’s stand, the film hits all the right notes.
PEOPLE: A
Coogler’s muse brings it once (or twice?) again.
It’s no secret that Coogler loves working with Michael B. Jordan, and it’s no mystery why. The accomplished actor’s work as Smoke and Stack rank right up there with the best “twin” performances ever. Not only does he conjure two distinct characters, he fashions a powerful relationship. You have no troubles feeling the love flowing between them.
The rest of the cast is simply stellar. Hailee Steinfeld, Delroy Lindo, Jayme Lawson, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, and newcomer Miles Caton are all unforgettable.
FILM NERD STUFF: A
This is how - and why - you do a one-shot.
So many times, a long, single shot (or as the kids call it, a “oner”) is used for show. But Coogler didn’t come here to brag. He came to tell his story in the best possible way.
His magnificent oner at the film’s mid-point isn’t only technically exquisite. It is - at minimum - a near-perfect rendering of the film’s theme that fully taps the rich possibilities of the cinematic language.
ONE BIG LESSON: A
Hang on tight to your roots.
You can enjoy Sinners in the same way you enjoy another fun, exciting thriller: From Dusk til Dawn (a film Coogler has cited as an influence).
But as we take a closer read, the film grows. If we read vampirism as racism, the film blooms. If we read the vampire’s Irish heritage as the assimilation of 19th century Irish immigrants, the film swells. If we read keeping the blues alive as the vital vehicle folks used to navigate the untold horrors wrought on an entire people, the film expands.
If we read the film this way, it explodes into something much more satisfying and important than your common popcorn flick. It transforms into a searing record of one of the most shameful chapters in our history, a chapter that must remain in the light of day lest we forget.
We see that holding on to the best parts of you and your culture is the thing that will keep you alive.
FINAL COMMENTS:
If you’re looking for a sophisticated investigation of our country’s history (as one might with Jordan Peele’s Us), you’ll love it. But if you’re just looking for a gory vampire thriller (like, the aforementioned From Dusk til Dawn), you’ll still love it. Neither aspect diminishes nor takes away from the other.
Five films into his career, Ryan Coogler can still say he has done no wrong. To continue that streak with an entirely original script, not based on a true story or existing IP, proves he’s one of our truly elite living movie makers.