Sinners: A Grand and Satisfying Black Supernatural Horror Epic

Sinners uses compelling performances, sumptuous cinematography, and a magnificent score to become a flawed but powerful film.

I wasn’t hoping for much from Sinners other than for it to be good. It ended up being a triumph of a film that I can't believe exists. It follows two twin brothers, Smoke and Stack, returning south from Chicago to start a juke joint. The film builds the world and develops its characters before they attract unwelcome visitors to their establishment. It manages to be funny, scary and awe inspiring in how its blending of genre works so well. Sinners uses compelling performances, sumptuous cinematography, and a magnificent score to become a flawed but powerful film.

The performers in Sinners are out of this world. I already expected Ryan Coogler to produce great ones, but this was something else. Michael B. Jordan is much better than I thought he’d be. Wunmi Mosaku, Hailee Steinfeld, and Li Jun Li are incredible. Delroy Lindo and Omar Benson Miller are great comedic relief that later give way to dramatic flair. Miles Caton’s debut performance is soulful, and his chemistry with Jayme Lawson is electric. Very easy to latch onto. It’s easy to see how Coogler’s experience with big casts from the Black Panther movies pays off here, as the film balances so many different story arcs very well. I wish it were longer so I could’ve gotten more of them. That’s also my most significant criticism; it should’ve been longer, as there’s so much jammed into it. I would’ve loved it to be more epic if possible.

The cinematography is beautiful as Coogler uses IMAX cameras to craft some of the most potent shots you could imagine. I was always very excited whenever the aspect ratio would change, and the screen filled with Autumn Derald’d work. There’s one sequence in particular that I think will stand out as one of the best of the year, possibly the decade. The way she frames these black people through their ups and downs throughout the story is fantastic. There are many wide shots of the setting to gush over and many well-played closeups. Also, there are a lot of great uses of shadow to play up horror. It’s incredible.

Ludwig Göransson is coming off multiple awards for the Oppenheimer score, and he should continue that winning streak here. The sounds of this movie are breathtaking and much more integral to the plot than you’d believe. Göransson’s instrumentation, along with the voices of Caton and others, brings you into this world in a phenomenal way. The central focus is blues, but so many other inspirations find their way into the scenes through the score. It’s all a gamble, but it pays off in dividends.

Sinners used compelling performances, sumptuous cinematography, and a magnificent score to become a flawed but powerful film. Wunmi Mosaku, Li Jun Li, Miles Caton, and Jayme Lawson perform well in a stellar ensemble. The cinematography is beautiful and frames the south in a way I felt I’d never seen before. Ludwig Göransson’s score is stunning, and I loved how it intertwined with the story. Sinners is one of my favorite movies of the year and a highlight of the decade. Coogler has done it again.

I hope you liked this review and the film in general! I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.