Sinners (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – Twin brothers return to their hometown to start their lives over, where they encounter an evil presence that’s been waiting to welcome them back.

My Take – Every few months, there comes along a film that simply is so hyped that you begin to doubt every material that comes out praising even the most intricate work put into its making. However, this third twins feature from Warner Bros. (this year) unquestionably doesn’t deserve even an ounce of the skepticism.

Marking the fifth collaboration between one of Hollywood’s great creative pairings, actor Michael B. Jordan and filmmaker Ryan Coogler, which began with his debut Fruitvale Station (2013), then continued with revitalizing of the ‘Rocky‘ series in the form of Creed (2015), something which probably secured their contribution to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the excellent Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022).

Stepping away from established franchises, writer-director Ryan Coogler swings hard with an original work that sees Jordan pulling double duty and push boundaries of genre film-making in the form of one of the best features I’ve seen in recent memory: a bold and unforgettable sweltering, sexy southern blues-infused vampire flick in which the music flows as freely as the blood.

Anchored by its energetic, gripping, and funny script, top-tier directing, and brilliant performances, the film not only jangles your nerves, it surprises you constantly.

Yes, the narrative starts off slow and takes a little time for buildup, but then it switches gears, veering into one delightfully unexpected sequence after another, while consistently delivering the scares required of any supernatural horror story and bringing in the musical ingenuity that stuns scene after scene.

Proving once again that Ryan Coogler is truly one of the best filmmakers working today. Witnessing his vision behind this tale as a blend of gothic with the spiritual and the weight of the segregated South is truly a haunting experience that I wish wouldn’t have ended even after 138 minutes.

Set in the semi-segregated world of 1932 Mississippi with the action unfolding over the course of a single day and night, the story follows Elijah “Smoke” Moore (Michael B. Jordan) and Elias “Stack” Moore (Michael B. Jordan), notorious twins and WWI veterans who return to the their hometown, after spending two years in Chicago working for Al Capone.

Using the money they stole from gangsters, they purchase an old sawmill to set up a juke joint for a night of blues music, drinking, and dancing. Joined by their young cousin Sammie “Preacher Boy” Moore (Miles Caton), a guitar griot whose acoustic gifts will be perfect for the shindig.

To ensure success, they bring in everyone they can from old friends to former lovers like Stack’s old flame, Mary (Hailee Steinfeld), a biracial woman who offers a whole lot of glamorous smack talk; Smoke’s estranged wife Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), who provides the culinary heft for the patrons; Pearline (Jayme Lawson) a married singer with whom Sammie becomes enamored; backwoods blues legend Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo); local Chinese shopkeepers Bo (Yao) and Grace Chow (Li Jun Li) as suppliers and Cornbread (Omar Benson Miller), a field worker to play bouncer.

And just when it seems like that the plan has worked with the former sawmill being filled to capacity and the night a center of fun and entertainment. In the midst of the party, a group of unwanted, bloodthirsty guests led by the Irish-immigrant vampire Remmick (Jack O’Connell) plan to crash and ruin the night.

Considering the slow pace of the initial hour, director Coogler does an excellent job in establishing all these characters and the dynamic they all have with each other, that once we reach the opening night where the music plays hard, the film becomes a toe-tapping experience. The film’s fascinating array of genres and tropes and ideas swirls together, whether be it oppression of race, or preaching of good and evil.

On the surface, this is a film that has been made dozens of times before and the influences here are obvious, especially when it comes to horror, especially Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk till Dawn (1996). Yet it feels fresh thanks to director Coogler’s distinctive touch. What could have been a disjointed watch that shifts from one film to another, ends up becoming the product of a visionary director operating at his highest level.

Sure, the vampires themselves are not unique as they abide by the rules that you usually expect from vampires whilst being scary and sexy, but then you throw in a sequence where they perform “Rocky Road to Dublin” and suddenly you enjoy their company before all hell breaks loose. But mostly, the vampires are a physical representation of the carrying of pain and violence across time, a tool for moral compromise, and a mirror for the dual nature of man as protector and hunter and of minorities pushing back and trying to find their own way in a world of oppressive majorities.

Being shot with IMAX cameras, it also lends a sense of scope and grander to the visuals that is rarely seen in period dramas. However, director Coogler’s greatest contribution to the film is achieving a synergy between the music and visuals that is unlike any other horror film in recent memory. The film’s shows topping scene—an extended, unbroken sequence that transports viewers on a journey through the history of black music—is one of the most memorable sequences in recent times.

Having composed all of Coogler’s films, Ludwig Göransson pushes it further with music in all its various forms. The music is a character as important as everyone else. Indeed, if you pick apart the story threads, the narrative is a little messy, but director Coogler’s assurance and vision holds everything together. Leaving my only complaint to be that he does such a masterful job of prolonging that standoff that I didn’t want it to end; I would have happily sat and watched another hour of unbearable tension.

Performance wise, Michael B. Jordan is excellent as always. Magnetically playing twin brothers, each with their own vibe and purpose, he brings a different persona and personality to each of the characters. Hailee Steinfeld brings in a layered, quietly powerful performance that grounds the more surreal elements. Wunmi Mosaku is also great in this film, while also being a huge part of the heart and soul of the narrative.

Miles Caton makes a powerful breakout debut and plays a very important role. They are excellently supported by Delroy Lindo, Jayme Lawson, Li Jun Li, Lola Kirke, Yao and Omar Miller. Finally Jack O’ Connell is absolutely fantastic, terrifying, while also charming in a way and is probably one the best horror villains I’ve seen in recent years. On the whole, ‘Sinners’ is a sexy, dark and stylish gothic horror that provides both a thrilling and thoughtful experience.