Sinners: A Thrilling Melting-Pot Masterpiece (Op/Ed)

Director Ryan Coogler of Black Panther and Creed fame released his newest film, Sinners, on April 17, 2025, and it is already the film highlight of the year.
by Emery Brown

Spoiler-Free Briefing:
The film follows Sammie “Preacher Boy” Moore (Miles Caton), a young African American boy in 1930s Mississippi, as he defies his preacher father’s wishes and joins his cousins, Smoke and Stack (Both portrayed by Michael B. Jordan), in their efforts to open a juke joint following their return from a Chicago gangster lifestyle. However, things go awry when a trio of vampires, led by a man named Remmick (Jack O’Connell), stumble upon the soulful establishment. The movie is a beautiful blend of Southern Gothic elements and a celebration of race, music, and horror that makes it a must-watch film.

Review (WITH SPOILERS)
Sinners is an incredible film that reminds me why I love movies. There are so many things to love about this outstandingly layered film that it’s almost impossible to name them all. The cast puts their all into their performances, particularly Miles Caton and Michael B. Jordan. I had never heard of Caton before this movie, and was extremely shocked to see that this is his first film performance ever. Among such a star-studded cast, for someone previously unheard of to be the film's highlight is astonishing, yet completely deserved, as he delivers a performance full of raw emotion and beautiful singing. Additionally, Michael B. Jordan’s performance as a pair of twins had the opportunity to be gimmicky and flat, yet Jordan portrays both Smoke and Stack so well that I forgot that one person played them. Smoke, being the tougher and more business-minded twin, contrasts so well with Stack’s empathetic and playful attitude, and they are both fleshed out to the best of their abilities.

The film pays tribute to the history of blues music, an art form with deep roots in slavery and traditional African heritage, and its early reception as immoral and sacrilegious, as it wasn’t “the norm”. This is most obviously seen with the conflict between Sammie and his father, who warns him to stay away from music and his cousins, telling him to work in the church instead. It also tackles race and heritage in such a refreshing, beautiful way, as it celebrates black traditions and the struggles African Americans faced in the Jim Crow South. However, the film also explores other cultures, such as the Chinese and Irish, in one giant melting pot of customs and music. The most beautiful example of this is the already-famous dance scene, in which past and future relatives of everyone in the room materialize, adding unique elements to the music from their respective periods and cultures. This was an incredible spectacle that had me tearful at its togetherness, showing that no matter how different people may seem, they can all come together to dance.

The horror in this movie was done very well. The first half of the movie is spent with no supernatural or scary elements at all, allowing the audience to familiarize themselves with the characters and the setting before delving into the madness. I enjoyed this thoroughly, though I understand how it could feel slow to some. When the horror does arrive, though, it doesn’t hold back. Playing off traditional vampire motifs, the tension is palpable in each scene, particularly the ones derived from the classic rule that a vampire can’t entire your home without being invited inside. The action is incredible and emotional, particularly between Smoke and a vampirized Stack, and while Remmick and the other vampires feel like monsters, there are very human elements to them, and the movie makes sure to show that the humans themselves aren’t helpless. The action is brutal, breathtaking, and thrilling to watch.

Remmick himself is a highlight of the movie. Coogler often writes his villains so that you feel their power and the threat they pose, yet you can sympathize with them and their struggles. It could have been very easy for Coogler to write Remmick as the racist white guy vampire villain, yet he doesn’t. Instead, Remmick is a man who has also faced discrimination due to being an Irishman, likely centuries worth of it, and seeks to unite people as one found family, similar to the role music plays, yet he goes about it in a cruel and brutal way that strips their freedom from them. We even see Remmick being discriminated against by the main cast of the film when he asks to enter the Juke Joint, who see him as a middle-aged white man and are hesitant to let him in, ultimately refusing him, not knowing that as an Irishman and understands many of the same struggles suffered by African Americans. Remmick is an incredibly layered villain who blends sympathetic struggles and horrifying power in a way that defines the film.

There are many other things to mention about Sinners that made it absolutely incredible, such as its cinematography, symbolism, and foreshadowing, that I wasn’t able to mention. I implore everyone to see this movie and believe it will likely be the movie of the year, earning a 9/10 in my book and cementing itself as an instant classic.