Originality is a feat few movies have in this current age of cinema. With studios aiming to focus on spectacle, A-list actors, jokes that only land half the time and the idea that you have to please everyone, every movie feels the same.
Everything about “Sinners” is as close to perfection as possible. The first thing that stands out is the performances. Walking in, you know Michael B. Jordan, Wunmi Mosaku and Hailee Steinfeld will knock it out of the park, who play Smoke-Stack, Annie and Mary respectively, as they have experience in the industry. The real standout of the movie was Miles Caton, who played Samual Moore. Before “Sinners,” Caton’s filmography consisted of a short film and a school play, however, you wouldn’t be able to tell. His ability to lose himself in the character of Samuel Moore is a skill few young actors have when they first debut, but the biggest standout of his performance was his vocals.
“Sinners,” while being a movie about vampires, is still a story about Black history. One element of Black history that it highlights exceptionally is the history of the blues, and Caton’s baritone is perfect for that feeling; you’re listening to something with such a deep, rich cultural history. Specifically, the somber way he sings “I Lied To You” is telling a relatable story using similar vocals to Robert Johnson (a famous blues singer that Coogler credits as an inspiration). The song opens with only his guitar, voice and stomping before it explodes into a composition that highlights the fact that he can reach across different times and spaces to connect to different cultures. It solidifies why Remmick, the main antagonist of the film, wants him, but at the same time, Caton isn’t the only powerhouse on display. Lawson sings an original song, “Pale Pale Moon,” that pays homage to country blues that were popular at the time. Lawson belts, screams and howls all in perfect key, and it distracts you from the fact that everything that could go wrong in this moment is. With two key characters being turned into vampires during the final bridge of the song, it tells the audience that things are about to go wrong.
While paying attention to the popular blues music of the time, the movie doesn’t shy away from discussing racism plaguing the Black community at this time. Several times, the movie discusses the effects of Jim Crow laws, like when the twins buy the juke joint off of what they don’t know is a Ku Klux Klan member.
The movie reveals that he and the other members were planning on killing all the patrons that night. Additionally, when Remmick first shows up and is turned away, Smoke reminds his brother and Annie what could have happened if “someone bumped into them,” referencing the violent actions that people would take against Black people at this time. Alongside discussing issues plaguing the Black community, the movie points out how Remmick, while wanting to get revenge for his people, is an allegory for cultural appropriation.
In trying to accomplish his ultimate goal, he is attempting to exploit Black culture by first trying to be allowed inside the juke joint and attempting to turn Samuel Moore into a vampire because he “wants his songs.” Conversely, in the movie, Remmick code switches, a phenomenon that many Black people are familiar with in social settings, where the idea that if they were to talk in a certain way or use certain mannerisms, they could be seen as “aggressive” or “unprofessional.” Coogler flips this on its head by having Remmick use a very popular word in the Black community and slightly tweaking his accent to attempt to be let inside the juke joint.
One final praise among the sea the movie deserves is how it does representation tastefully. Not only does this film feature many Black actors, it includes a plus-sized woman who wasn’t made the joke at any point in the film, and she even ends up being the unsung hero in the end when she discovers that the vampires are connected to Remmick. Another important highlight of her character was not using her femininity against her and not letting her fall into the Aunt Jemima stereotype. The film also showcases three Asian American actors in Bo, Grace and their daughter Lisa (Helena Hu). The movie highlights the history of Chinese-Americans and how they had stores on both Black and white sides of towns. Coogler also shows the identity struggles that came with being one-eighth Black and the social issues that came with that at the time in Mary. The film doesn’t reduce any of them to tropes that have been popular with all those archetypes in the past 20 years of cinema.
“Sinners” is what you get when everyone cares. The director, actors, set designers and everyone who was even a small part of the film didn’t dare to let any part suffer. Because of the dedication of everyone involved, the film is set to re-release in IMAX for a week starting Oct. 30, 2025.
