Ryan Coogler, director of Black Panther and Creed, follows up the success of those films with this original genre-hopping 1930’s set thriller about twin brothers returning to their Mississippi roots.
The film opened over Easter weekend with impressive £69m earnings worldwide and looks set to be a big hit for studio Warner Bros.
Michael B Jordan shines in dual roles as gangster brothers Smoke and Stack who return to their hometown after a stint in Chicago honing their entrepreneurial skills. Interestingly this is the 3rd time this year that an actor has pulled double duty in a movie. (Robert Pattinson in Mickey 17 and Robert De Niro in The Alto Knights) but Jordan may well have outdone his peers here. The Smoke – Stack Twins look identical but at no point is there any doubt about which is which, so clearly defined is the actor’s performance.
The Twins goal is to set up a country and blues club on the grounds of an old mill, and the films slow burn opening sees them recruiting Cousin Sammy (Newcomer Miles Caton) a talented guitar player and Delroy Lindo’s Delta Slim, a veteran musician to play the opening night. Smokes ex Annie, a voodoo priestess and skilled cook and Mary, Stacks former beau (Hailee Steinfeld) are also along for the ride.
The rip-roaring event is all going well until Jack O’Connell’s mysterious stranger shows up literally looking for blood and the film takes the sharpest of twists into horror territory.
Although this seems jarring at first, the methodic opening hour does allow the film to breathe and grants the viewer time to get to know the characters before they’re put in jeopardy. Setting up the story’s dense mythology, we’re told in voice-over how truly great music can be a transcendent experience which connects the past, present and future, but can also attract unsavoury and evil forces. Hence the arrival of O’Connells bloodthirsty Remmick.
While clearly taking inspiration from a number of films that have come before, Sinners is also fiercely original. Coogler ingeniously incorporates musical elements and fuses them with the horror into what essentially starts as a period crime drama.
Soundtracked by a fantastic bluesy score from composer Ludwig Göransson, this is a thematically dense film, packed with commentary on black history, community and culture.
The trailer and marketing unfortunately gives away far too much, so it’s best to experience the film knowing as little as possible.
Sinners shows what Coogler is capable of when given free rein over a project. The exciting blend of genres results in something truly unique. A dazzling film full of twists and turns from a daring filmmaker at the top of his game.
An amazing movie good enough to restore your faith in cinema.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Paul Steward
27/04/25
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