Light spoiler alert: While this piece avoids major plot twists, it does reference key themes, characters and moments that unfold in the film.
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is being sold as a horror flick, but don’t get it twisted — it’s a love story at its core. Not the Hallmark kind, but the messy, spiritual, blood-soaked kind that binds people together even as the world around them crumbles. It’s a story about family, about legacy and about fighting for your people when evil literally shows up at your front door. There’s also a lot of music.
From a critical and commercial standpoint, it’s a major hit as an original film: As Deadline confirmed, Sinners is now the top movie in North America after collecting well over $45 million during its opening weekend. Additionally, it holds a 98% rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Simply put, Coogler & Co. did not miss with this one.
Black love, blues and bloodsuckers: A genre-blending Southern gothic
Set over the course of 24 hours in the Mississippi Delta, the film follows Smoke and Stack (twin brothers played masterfully by Michael B. Jordan), who returned to their hometown of Clarksdale after doing Al Capone’s dirty work in Chicago. The town knows them for their violence, but they’re still very much human. Stack is the more open and emotional of the two, while Smoke is quieter, colder — the presumed result of years of trauma at the hands of their abusive father. The film wastes no time dropping you into a world where everyone has a past, and nobody is safe.
The heart of Sinners is the grand opening of a juke joint at a sawmill the brothers just purchased from a sketchy white man named Hogwood. He assures them that the Klan is no longer active in the region. He’s lying. And by the time his true intentions come to light — that the KKK is coming at dawn to kill the brothers — the film has already reached a fever pitch.
Along the way, we meet a cast of unforgettable characters: Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), Smoke’s estranged love interest who protects herself with hoodoo and spiritual ritual; Mary (a brilliantly cast Hailee Steinfeld), Stack’s sensual, white-passing love interest; Cornbread (Omar Benson Miller), a cotton picker and loyal friend tapped to guard the juke joint; and Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo), a regional blues legend drowning in regret and alcohol. If you missed it, you can check out REVOLT’s interview with the cast of Sinners here.
And then there’s Sammie, aka Preacher Boy, played by real-life singer Miles Caton in his stunning film debut. With a voice that cuts through bone and a guitar that proves vital for multiple reasons, his character becomes the obsession of a vampiric entity named Remmick. Remmick’s goal? Turn Preacher Boy into an immortal conduit for musical and spiritual power. One performance in particular becomes a sonic time warp, bridging tribal African drums with Hip Hop turntables and George Clinton-style funk. It’s bold and symbolic, though the mix of imagery may break the immersion.
Vampire lore meets modern soul with a side of jump scares
Yes, there are traditional vampire rules here — garlic, silver, wooden stakes — and yes, there are jump scares, especially in the beginning and toward the chaos of the final act. As someone who hates horror movies for exactly that reason, I’ll warn you now: They pop up without much warning. Thankfully, Sinners isn’t reliant on cheap tricks, and it spends much of its time keeping you engaged with colorful world-building. Coogler clearly trusted his story to carry the fear, not just loud noises. Many of the deaths and transformations of major characters happened off-screen, were implied or were revealed in ways timid folks like myself could easily digest.
The film isn’t afraid to go there, though. Nearly every guest who steps outside of the juke joint falls victim to Remmick’s growing legion. Watching it unfold is agonizing, especially as you silently beg them to just stay inside (as I did in the theater).
A major shoutout goes to cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, whose visuals are as stunning as they are haunting. From the cotton fields and the town to the juke joint and everything that happens within it, every frame feels intentional and steeped in overwhelming emotion. The cast shines across the board, and Jordan’s portrayal of the twins will easily go down as one of the finest performances of his career.
Those who read this and plan to hit the theater to watch: Choose an IMAX (or better) option if you can and stay until the very end. A post-credits scene offers closure and an appearance from Blues legend Buddy Guy, who plays an elder version of Preacher Boy. It will be worth the wait.