By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
Blues music, bloodthirsty vampires, the haunting mystique of the Mississippi Delta, and a double dose of
Michael B. Jordan, ("Creed III") collide in a bold and intoxicating brew in
Ryan Coogler's audacious new film
"Sinners," which he directed, wrote and co-produced with his wife
Zinzi.
"Sinners" marks the
Sacramento State University alum's return to stand-alone storytelling after 2013's critically acclaimed
"Fruitvale Station."
With "Sinners" Coogler confidently dives deep into gothic Southern folklore and Afrofuturist mythmaking, weaving together elements that feels both fresh and fiercely original not to mention immensely exciting and unpredictable.
Earlier this month at
CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Coogler shared in a pre-recorded video message that "Sinners" is a deeply personal tribute to his family's Southern roots.
The film also marks his fifth collaboration with Michael B.Jordan and it just might be their most powerful and compelling work to date.
"Sinners" is set in Clarksdale, Mississippi, circa 1932, and follows twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both portrayed by Jordan), who return home from Chicago hoping to leave their checkered past behind and start anew.
Their plan is to use their haul of "blood money" to open a juke joint on property they purchase from an old white dude named Hogwood (David Maldonado, "The Burial") who insists the KKK doesn't exist anymore, and Smoke and Stake have nothing to worry about. But we know that's not true. The devil really is in the details.
The film weaves its narrative through time, using flashbacks and shifts to other Southern locales to deepen the emotional resonance of the story. These transitions are handled with such precision and purpose that they enrich the narrative rather than distract from it.
One of the film's standout arcs involves Sammie Moore, (a sensational performance by gospel/R&B singer Miles Caton). Sammie is Smoke and Stack's cousin and the son of a devout preacher. Sammie’s father isn't happy that he's bent on leaving the church to chase his calling in music.
But this kid can sure play that guitar and sing the blues and is going places. It's a journey that becomes a powerful and emotional subplot threaded through the film's larger themes of legacy, identity, and sacrifice.
Opening night at the juke joint is so electric, so alive with pulsating blues grooves, that it draws the attention of three wandering Irish musicians, that include a guy named Remmick (Jack O'Connell, TV's "Rogue Heroes"). At first glance, the trio appear just friendly and wide-eyed, curious outsiders eager to soak in the energy of the celebration. But beneath their polite smiles lies something far more sinister. Their arrival sets the stage for a violent turn of events that erupts among the unsuspecting partygoers in some of the film's most brutal and shocking moments.
Coogler masterfully uses the blues not just as a soundtrack, but as a narrative force to expose the deep-rooted racism of the era and the resilience of the Black experience. In one of the film's most powerful sequences, a slow-motion montage tracks the evolution of blues through time, showing its monumental influence on nearly every major genre, from jazz and soul to hip-hop and R&B. It's a breathtaking and dynamic scene.
"Sinners" is far more than just a supernatural horror film, although fans of the genre will be thrilled by the blood-soaked intensity that unfolds in the movie's gripping second half.
Michael B. Jordan commands the screen with undeniably magnetic and remarkable depth and swagger. Honestly, the entire ensemble delivers standout performances, each bringing texture and soul to Coogler's richly imagined world. Delroy Lindo (TV's "Unprisoned") is unforgettable as Delta Slim, a drunken local bluesman haunted by his past. Wunmi Mosaku ("Deadpool & Wolverine") is captivating as Annie, Smoke's ex and a voodoo conjurer and spiritual leader whose mystique and power ripple through every scene. Omar Benson Miller ("Naples to New York") brings warmth and heart as family friend Cornbread, while Hailee Steinfeld (TV's "Champions") smolders as Mary, Stack's scorned lover with secrets of her own. Jayme Lawson (TV's "The Penguin") shines as the sharp and spirited Pearline, and Yao (TV's "The Last Bout") and Li Jun Li (TV's "Spider-Noir") are pitch-perfect as Grace and Bo Chow, local shopkeepers Smoke and Stack hire to provide signage for the juke joint and who wind up getting caught in the crossfire.
Yet, it's newcomer Miles Caton who just might steal the show. As the blues/gospel-singing Sammie Moore, he's a revelation. Caton brings raw emotion, vocal power, and quiet intensity to the role that lingers long after the credits roll. And speaking of end credits, stick around for two of them that features Sammie and a prominent blues musician.
"Sinners" is a visually stunning, genre-defying triumph. Coogler has done it again and crafted a soul-stirring film that doesn't just entertain, it echoes.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the
Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays now at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Watch This Trailer For
"SINNERS"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
