So I watched Sinners…

There’s been a lot of debate lately about the future of movies and the cinema experience. I still think the best way to enjoy a movie is at the cinema but can’t fault anyone who prefers the comfort and convenience of streaming something in their home. I just wish both formats could co-exist without the success of one leading to the death of the other. That being said though, this film deserves to be seen not only in the cinema but in IMAX — because oh, it is art!

Okay, basic plot: Smoke (Michael B. Jordan) and Stack (Michael B. Jordan) are identical twins who are no strangers to the criminal underworld. They return to their hometown with the hopes of starting a juke joint and earning enough money to ensure their freedom and happiness. Their hopes are quickly dealt a blow when a supernatural visitor stumbles upon their juke joint and takes a devilish interest in their new star guitar player and cousin, Sammy (Miles Caton).

Ryan Coogler is such an amazing director and writer. I know that I’m stating the obvious but it’s one of those undeniable facts that needs repeating. I’ve seen all of his movies and, with the exception of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, I’ve loved every single one. He does such a great job of creating rich and detailed characters and compelling narratives. Sinners is another example of this. Going into this film, I thought this was going to be a stock standard “kill the vampire before he bites you” movie but the world that Coogler creates is so much more layered and complex than I had anticipated. Yes, there are vampires, yes, our heroes need to kill them but there’s nothing stock or standard about this story. This movie reminded me a lot of Get Out, both in terms of how it presented itself as a pure horror but then ended up being thought-provoking social commentary and its subversion of what the ‘horror’ in the horror movie is.

In most horror movies, the monster and his or her actions are the titular horror. The monster usually has limited motivations beyond simply wanting to kill everyone in its way and spends the majority of the film hidden, barely seen or in the shadows so that the audience’s imagination and trepidation give them a larger than life aura. In Get Out and now Sinners, the monster is presented in plain sight and the true horror is the ideas and values it represents. I wouldn’t call Sinners a vampire movie, it’s a movie about how racism and colonialism are evil and unnatural. Coogler serves up a horror film where the scares aren’t in scary monsters popping out of the shadows to say ‘boo’ but rather in the restrictions and prejudices forced upon Black people by their racist oppressors.

The vampire leader, Remmick (Jack O’Connell) seeks out Sammy because his music is a talent that borders on the supernatural and Remmick wants to control and use it for his own ends. In other words, somebody black is doing something cool that a white man covets and plans to corrupt. Sound familiar? Probably because it’s all of history. Telling this story through the horror genre, particularly the vampire genre, is such a fascinating choice because it displays racism as this supernatural disease that gets spread through people and has them turn on each other. It works on so many levels. This movie feels like something that needs to be deconstructed in a college course, that’s how clever and nuanced it is.

Beyond its intelligence, it’s just such a great watch because of the charisma and talent that Michael B. Jordan radiates in every scene he’s in. Smoke and Stack are such distinct characters and Jordan plays them both so differently that he actually tricks you into thinking they’re being portrayed by two different actors. Twins on screen is something that has been done plenty of times but it’s still such a wonder to me how one person can embody two characters in a single film. He has to do everything twice, often reacting to a character that isn’t physically there. It’s exceptional and Michael B. Jordan is an exceptional actor. There isn’t a single weak link in this film’s cast and everyone puts in performances worthy of praise.

I want to single out the performances of two actors – Omar Benson Miller and Delroy Lindo. These are two actors I’ve seen in multiple projects from the time I was a child well into my adulthood. They often appear in supporting roles but they always give leading men effort. Their respective performances in this film are wonderful. Miller steals scenes and his line delivery has inspired some truly humourous memes. Lindo is a class act. He’s the elder statesman in the cast and his performance exudes poise, heart and regal authority. I think he definitely deserves a supporting actor nod come award season. These two were my favourites, but Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Wunmi Mosaku — I see your brilliance and I appreciate it.

Overall, Sinners is a must-see, preferably at the cinema. In a sea of forgettable franchises, it’s the kind of film that reminds you why you fell in love with movies in the first place. 8/10

Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures. Used under fair dealing for review and commentary purposes.