Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.
It’s time to get excited about movies again, especially when it comes to writer / director Ryan Coogler‘s wildly original genre film, “Sinners.” This atmospheric blend of gothic horror, historical drama, and supernatural folklore hits like a bolt of Southern lightning in the haunted heart of the Mississippi Delta. Always highly ambitious and at times, quite messy, this horror thriller is bursting with creativity and purpose in a way that few films would ever dare to be. Coogler takes risks with his ambitious ideas, and they almost always pay off here.
Set in Clarksdale, Mississippi in 1932, the film follows identical twins Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan), World War I veterans turned Chicago gangsters who return to their roots in the Delta. The boys are back in town and trying to forge a new life with stolen mob money and the plan of turning an old sawmill into a juke joint for the local Black population. In their quest to fill the space with the best tunes in town, Smoke and Stack call on their talented Blues musician cousin Sammie (Miles Caton) as well as other friends and former lovers (Delroy Lindo, Hailee Steinfeld, Omar Benson Miller, Li Jun Li, Tenaj L. Jackson). After all, the music club is created with the intent of providing a haven in a world that’s filled with hate. But soon, the brothers find that their dream is anything but because the past (and something far darker) has followed them home.
This is a film that grabs you from the get-go and never loosens its grip. The visual storytelling is steeped in thick Southern atmosphere, with endless dirt roads, decaying homes and churches, and the vibrant hum of the juke joint contrasting beautifully against the backdrop of generational trauma, racial violence, and spiritual reckoning. The cultural significance of the film can’t be overstated, especially when blending an undercurrent of prejudice and bigotry with supernatural ideas that claim blues music is sinful sorcery that (quite literally) opens a portal to something much deeper and far more dangerous.
Coogler weaves a tapestry that’s rich in symbolism and steeped in American horror and myth. The notion that music can warp time and open rifts between the past, present, and future is as compelling as it is chilling. (His visual portrayal of this actually gives me goosebumps whenever I reflect on it, and it’s one of the movie’s most memorable moments). This isn’t just a story about haunted men, but one about a haunted land. This is a culture trying to reclaim its voice from the jaws of generational curses.
The cast is absolutely terrific, and every character down from the leads to the smallest supporting roles feels fully realized. Jordan turns in some powerful dual work as the twin brothers, and the rest of the performances from his co-stars are just as strong. The biggest standout for me is Lindo, who steals the show as tragic but sympathetic musician Delta Slim, whose better days are far beyond his reach.
Despite doing so much right, the film isn’t without flaws. Coogler clearly has a lot to say, and sometimes that ambition spills over into what feels like indulgence. Some scenes wander a little too far into abstraction, and the final act (especially the unnecessary epilogue) feels like one idea too many. Coogler drags the ending out well past its welcome, which does dilute the emotional gut-punch that the rest of the film earns so well. Overall, the project is so incredibly well done that none of the stumbles really matter much at all.
Bold, unflinching, and provocative, “Sinners” might divide audiences with its fearless themes and tangled storytelling. No matter which part of the movie speaks to you the most, there’s no denying that it has cemented its place as an entertaining, profound, and striking piece of original genre-blending cinema.
