The Screen Scribe

It’s a rare thing indeed when a film makes me sit up straight in my seat and pay attention, completely engrossing me in the cinematic experience of a quality, well-crafted film, and make no mistake, Sinners is most definitely a cinematic experience. There’s this feeling I get when I’m watching a film that is truly special, a feeling of awe and absolute immersion, and then I just know I’m watching something magical. From Lord of the Rings to Mad Max: Fury Road and The Dark Knight, this feeling is the yardstick to which I measure a film, and Sinners most definitely meets the standard. Ryan Coogler delivers a fascinating exploration of humanities affinity for sin through the lens of blues music, famous for its association with supernatural legends. Following commercially and critically successful hits like Creed and Black Panther, Coogler finally gets to sink his teeth into something original and his own, delving deep in the American south, the birthplace of the blues. Not only is Sinners a culturally rich film, but it’s also important from the perspective of artistic control, both as a storytelling device within the film but behind the camera too, as Coogler negotiated an innovative contract deal that granted him first cut privilege, first dollar gross and complete film rights after 25 years. This type of deal is unheard of and may signal a shift in how Hollywood studios operate from an artistic standpoint in the future. A deal with the devil indeed.

Set in 1932 Mississippi, Sinners follows the exploits of twin brothers Smoke and Stack Moore, WW1 veterans and career criminals within the Chicago underworld. They return home to open a juke joint, and recruit friends and family from the local community to join them in their endeavour. However, the carefully laid plans of the SmokeStack twins begin to unravel when a sinister supernatural force threatens to derail everything, and a night of magical music and community spirit quickly descends into bloody madness.

Now I know I usually start with the negatives but to be quite honest there was very little I found wrong with the film. But just so I have something to discuss, here are my two main gripes with Sinners. Early on in the film saw some dodgy CGI when the twins (both played by Michael B. Jordan) were side by side and sharing a cigarette, with the exchange between them coming across as distracting and more than a little uncanny. As the film progressed it became less of an issue as the brothers either did not occupy the same space for more than a few minutes or they employed a different technique to achieve the same result. I’m not a filmmaker so that kind of knowhow is beyond me. But either way, a minor issue. The other was that I would like to have seen a little more development for our villain, Remmick, before all hell breaks loose. Now it’s quite possible that this was intentional and meant to keep him mysterious and vague, but a little more screentime to explore his history and motivations wouldn’t have hurt. But again, a minor issue. Neither of these detracted from the overall quality of the film.

It’s no exaggeration to say that this is the best film of the year thus far and as such there are a lot of good things to say about it. The cinematography is stunning, showcasing not only the beauty of the deep south but also the cinematographers eye for a stunning scene set piece that lends to the visual storytelling as much as the music does. Visual storytelling is something I’m a huge fan of, but never before have I come across a film that utilises music as a storytelling device like Sinners. Ludwig Göransson’s score elevates the film and evolves as the story progresses, from acoustic guitars and banjos in the first half to electric guitar, synth styles and heavy metal music as the film nears its climax. Göransson, a two-time Oscar winner, delivers possibly a career best with this score. There are two scenes in particular that stood out to me that showcased the power of music, its ties to the supernatural and the parallels between the protagonists and the villain. These scenes were powerful, haunting and rife with symbology. Sinners is rich in symbology and metaphor, eschewing the usual tropes of black oppression and exploring it through the lens of a similarly oppressed culture that has centuries of history with racism, cultural assimilation and affinity for music, alluding to the complex relationship between Irish immigrants and African-Americans. This adds far more depth to the story as opposed to the typical white oppressor villain. The films use of vampires is fantastic, fresh and evokes a feeling of genuine danger and otherness. The creature design is highly reminiscent of the comic American Vampire by Scott Snyder, and I would love to know if that was an inspiration during production. The cast deliver career best performances all around, with particular praise to be given to Michael B. Jordan, Jack O’Connell and Hailee Steinfeld.

To be honest I could probably continue to wax lyrical about this film for another few hundred words but instead I’ll leave you with this: Go see the damn movie. You won’t regret it. And DO NOT leave when the credits start, there’s an epilogue scene that cannot be missed. This is easily the best film I have seen since probably Dune: Part 2 last year and in a period where good films are a diamond dozen, I can wholeheartedly say this is a brilliant film and a likely contender for the Oscars next year.

5 / 5 ✨ from the Screen Scribe.

(Images courtesy of and own by Youtube)