Introduction
Director Ryan Coogler had a pretty spotless track record before directing Sinners. Fruitvale Station was a critical success that introduced the world to Michael B. Jordan, Creed was a critical and commercial hit, while the two Black Panther films combined to make over $2 billion. That kind of unmitigated success can give a director quite a bit of cache. Coogler used that cache to make Sinners, and we are all the better for it.
For the first time, Coogler isn’t held back by any previous material or story. Without the restrictions of following a franchise vision or a true story, Coogler can create a world and story from scratch. With that artistic freedom, the director delivers a singular work of crime, horror, dark humor, and musical influences that is unlike anything else you’ll see this year, or many other years.
Synopsis
Jordan stars as twin brothers Smoke and Stack (referred to as the Smokestack Twins), who return to their southern hometown in the Jim Crow era of the early 20th century. Looking to open a juke joint, the twins recruit their guitar prodigy cousin Sammie (Miles Caton, in a stunning film debut) to perform. Smoke asks his former love Annie (Wummi Mosaku) to cook, and Stack attempts to sidestep his former lover Mary (Hailee Steinfeld) while also recruiting alcoholic musician Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo).
As the night begins and the music rises, the sinister presence of Remmick (an expertly creepy Jack O’Connell) also appears. With the liquor flowing, tensions boil over as Remmick reveals his intentions to go along with his increasing followers. The group in the juke joint must band together to understand their situation and stay alive.
Genre/Themes
It’s difficult to classify Sinners into a single genre, as Coogler is uninterested in staying in a single lane. Each time you feel like you have a grasp on the directions the story will go, it takes a sharp turn. The film is not interested in genre conventions. Instead, it immerses you in a specific world and allows you to live in the environment. And that world is a lush one. Featuring period-era train stations, stores and storefronts, churches, cotton fields, and juke joints, nothing feels inauthentic.
But that doesn’t mean Coogler is content with staying in reality. When you have some of the more out-there horror elements, you can take some chances that wouldn’t fit in other films. A showstopping scene occurs mid-film where Sammie performs in the juke joint for the first time. All of a sudden, musicians from the past and future come together in the space as the camera zooms around the room.
As the music crescendos, the roof, literally, catches on fire (metaphorically, but still depicted on film). It’s one of those moments where you are transcending watching a film and are elevated to an artistic expression you feel like you have never seen before and may never see again. Without spoiling anything, it might be the last happy moment in the film.
Cast
Jordan, in his fifth collaboration with Coogler, is all movie star, all the time. Playing the dual role of Smoke and Stack, he does a fine job of differentiating the two without diverging their personalities directly. They are still twins, after all. There is no good one or bad one. But he is still Michael B. Jordan, so the audience automatically likes him. Smoke is more insular, while Stack is more outgoing. It’s a great performance from an actor who doesn’t get enough credit as a pure thespian.
Mosaku, Steinfeld, O’Connell, Omar Miller, Jayme Lawson, and Li Jun Li all round out the supporting cast and fill out their characters with life and verve. Lindo has the broadest work and imbues the film with a much-needed level of humor. Caton is the real find. In his debut, you could argue he is the main character. He has to carry the film when Jordan is gone, sings, plays guitar, and has the greatest emotional arc in the film. It’s a stunning performance from an actor I’m sure we will see much more of in the coming years.
Conclusion
For a film as dark as Sinners, I sure had a lot of fun. It’s not a fun film, but it’s just so entertaining and original, it felt like a breath of fresh air. Run, don’t walk, to your closest theater and see it with a full audience.
