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For a lot of movies these days, there’s a lack of soul and buildup — a thrilling action sequence with no stakes, heartfelt character moments with no development — in the story. It weakens and even cheapens the narrative, often making for an uninspired viewing experience. Additionally, the number of outstanding films is decreasing as studios take fewer risks with non-IP productions. In this day and age, the existence of Ryan Coogler's Sinners (Black Panther, Fruitvale Station) feels like a miracle. It gives me hope for the future of filmmaking because it is so amazing good and has layers of themes. On paper, Sinners has a lot going on, but it’s tightly structured and paced, with Coogler making every frame count. Each character is well-drawn, their backstories revealed organically. Coogler forgoes flashbacks altogether when twin brothers, Smoke and Stack (played expertly by Creed actor Michael B. Jordan in a dual role), relay information from their past. We hear rather than see their experiences as they speak, which strengthens the narrative and gives the film a bit of a stylistic flourish — something it has in spades. It also allows the film’s sound and score to shine.
Set in 1932 Mississippi, Sinners opens with Sammie Moore (Miles Caton, making his feature acting debut) arriving at his father’s church. He’s beaten up, scratched, and holding the handle of a guitar; it’s all that’s left of it. We’re offered glimpses of what happened to him before the film goes back to the day before. After spending some time in Chicago, Sammie's twin cousins have come back to town and hired Sammie, who plays guitar and sings, to help them open their juke joint. Smoke and Stack have money, which is called into question a few times considering who they used to work for in Chicago, and they use it for the grand opening. Smoke reunites with his love, Annie (Loki’s Wunmi Mosaku), with whom he had a child who died, while Stack runs into Mary (Dickinson actress Hailee Steinfeld), whose relationship with Stack is a bit tense. Smoke and Stack’s relationships — with each other and to others in the town — are explored for the first half of the film as they collectively work to get the juke club going.
This is crucial to the second half, which focuses more on the tension and horror-fueled arrival of Remmick, a music-loving vampire who targets the juke club and is played by Jack O'Connell (Lady Chatterley's Lover). I was enjoyingly getting to know the characters for the first hour while the supernatural elements lingered in the background. The film is in no rush to get to the vampire aspect, but Sinners has more on its mind than that, layering the story with exquisite mythology, music as a form of magic, and a setting and character situations that engage with social commentary that still echoes today.
The film’s foreshadowing is also effective, and the writing is tight. The dialogue, the costuming, and the way the characters move are also downright sexy, as Sinners has no qualms about infusing the film with a rush of seductive energy that casts an electric spell alongside the music. It holds our attention at every turn and draws us into the narrative. The film combines so many elements that it might not have worked in someone else's hands. Some of the dialogue, spoken differently and with a wholly disparate tone than what the film is going for, might have even been weird. But in Sinners, there is not one aspect of the supernatural horror that is misused. Because it is a cacophony of musical styles, eras, and genres that blend flawlessly, it is exceptional in this way. It is a masterful piece of art with many themes and characters. While Coogler has always been a great filmmaker, Sinners may have just elevated him to auteur status.
There are plenty of vampire films out there, but Sinners stands out because it intertwines vampire lore with that of music as a supernatural barrier between planes, the past, and the present. Because music plays such an important role in the movie, there is a lengthy scene in which Sammie sings and plays his guitar while dancers and musicians from various eras appear around him and the juke joint. I'll be thinking about this stunning, captivating, and poetic scene for a very long time. In tandem with cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, who creates a gritty and lush aesthetic, and editor Michael P. Shawver, whose quick cuts in parts elevate the film’s horror, Coogler has created a soulful, alluring film that has a lot to say and the ability to say it with beauty and coherence. The film rises to a new level entirely thanks to the soundtrack and the songs that the characters sing. It’s mesmerizing and expertly placed, effectively bringing the first and second half of the film together.
B. Michael Jordan always brings his all to his roles, but he’s something else in Sinners, one of his best performances to date. The actor plays Smoke and Stack as twins and gives each role subtle differences, giving Smoke and Stack their own personas supported by visual cues (like costuming differences). Jordan must display a plethora of emotion and physicality throughout the film. From being a shoot-out tough to a gentle lover, bitter and fearful, his performances are impactful at every turn. Wunmi Mosaku is especially great, often matching Jordan’s energy and expressing so much through her eyes.
The rest of the supporting cast is great, and their chemistry on screen is real. For any ensemble cast, the rhythms of their performances must mesh together, and in Sinners, I truly felt the camaraderie of the community. And I have to shout out Miles Caton, who stood alongside such a great and experienced cast and didn’t miss a beat.
Ultimately, Coogler’s latest is already one of my favorite films of the year and should be counted among the best of 2025. I was taken to another place watching Sinners, and I have no doubt audiences will walk away having been moved and simultaneously entertained by this gripping, multifaceted story that deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible and, ideally, more than once.
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