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. And with studios taking less risks on non-IP films, the pool of great movies is dwindling. The fact that writer-director Ryan Coogler’s (Black Panther, Fruitvale Station) Sinners exists feels like a miracle in this era of Hollywood. That it is so astonishingly good and thematically layered gives me hope for the future of filmmaking.
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.
Michael B. Jordan always brings his all to his roles, but he’s something else in Sinners, one of his best performances to date.
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. Sammie’s twin cousins have returned to town after living in Chicago for a while, and they recruit Sammie, who plays guitar and sings, to help them with the opening of their juke club.
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.
Sinners Expertly Lays The Groundwork Before Getting To The Action
This is crucial to the second half, which is more focused on the tension and horror-fueled arrival of Remmick (Lady Chatterley’s Lover actor Jack O’Connell), a music-loving vampire who sets his sights on the juke club. For the first hour, I was happily getting to know the characters while the supernatural elements lurked quietly 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’s magnetic, drawing us into the story and leaving us riveted with every moment. The film is such a mixture of elements that, in anyone else’s hands, may not have worked.
…Coogler has always been a great filmmaker, Sinners may have just elevated him to auteur status.
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. It’s exceptional in that way — a cacophony of genres, music, and time periods that perfectly blend, bold and sure of itself. It’s a masterful work of art that is complex in themes and rich in character. While Coogler has always been a great filmmaker, Sinners may have just elevated him to auteur status.
Music Plays An Integral Role In Sinners
Coogler’s Film Is Soulful
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. Music is so important to the film that there’s an extended scene that sees Sammie singing and playing his guitar while dancers and musicians from different eras appear around him and the juke club. It’s such a gorgeous, entrancing, lyrical scene and one I’ll be thinking about for quite some 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 music alone, from the songs played by the characters to the score by Ludwig Göransson, takes the film to another level. It’s mesmerizing and expertly placed, effectively bringing the first and second half of the film together.
Michael B. Jordan Gives A Perfectly Crafted Performance
The Supporting Cast Is Incredible
Michael B. Jordan always brings his all to his roles, but he’s something else in Sinners, one of his best performances to date. Playing twin characters, the actor imbues subtle differences into each role, giving Smoke and Stack their own personas that are aided by visual cues (like differences in costuming). Jordan must display a plethora of emotion and physicality throughout the film — from being 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 while also expressing so much through her eyes.
The rest of the supporting cast is excellent, and their onscreen chemistry is believable. 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.
Sinners
9/10
- Release Date
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April 18, 2025
- The film’s story, characters and themes are complex
- The film wonderfully develops its characters before getting to the action
- The cast’s performances are excellent
- The writing is tight and the film is has a lot of style