When the movie “Sinners” was announced in the fall, people were excited, but nobody imagined the movie becoming the phenomenon it is now. The film is directed by Ryan Coogler and stars Michael B. Jordan, and many people are arguing that this is both of their best works to date as they are in their fifth collaboration together.
The plot follows gangster twin brothers named Smoke and Stack, both played by Michael B. Jordan, who move to Mississippi to start a new life. They buy out an old sawmill and turn it into a music club where their little cousin, Sammie, who is played by Miles Caton who is in his first ever movie role. However, it takes a turn when a KKK couple gets bitten by a vampire and decides to show up at the club, even though it is primarily black.
The writing in this movie is genuinely masterful, especially with the dynamics of Jordan’s two characters and everyone they interact with, specifically Sammie and Annie. Sammie is the son of the pastor, which is the reason for his stagename “Preacherboy.” He is the younger cousin of the twins and a very promising guitarist who doesn’t like his extremely moral and religious upbringing. Annie is the wife of Smoke and is a hoodoo practitioner who cooks for the huge party. Every character is written extremely well, considering they are all likeable, except for Stack’s ex-girlfriend, Mary; still, her character is amazing. The only reason she isn’t as likable as the others is solely because she doesn’t do what she is told to.
To put it simply, the acting is generational in this film. Michael B. Jordan, as expected, is nothing short of phenomenal. He gives equally great performances for both Smoke and Stack. However, the performance that caught my attention is Sammie Moore, who is played by Miles Caton. What makes it so great is that it is his first movie role ever, and he stole the show by displaying the emotions so perfectly. It is extremely exciting because Miles Caton is here to stay, especially considering the critical acclaim he has received along with everyone else involved in “Sinners.”
The cinematography and the sound are also masterful. Watching this in theatres is a must, especially with the jump-scares. The way it can go from very fun to insanely tense is impressive, to say the least. Coogler is amazing at playing with the audience’s emotions; he can keep the audience captivated at all times, because even if it isn’t the fastest movie in the world, everything builds off of each other, making every scene feel bigger than the last.
A very underappreciated aspect of this movie is the comedy. Of course, this is a serious movie, but Coogler knows when to fit in comedic lines and scenes. It is comparable in a sense to how Quentin Tarantino goes about comedy, specifically in his “period piece” era. It isn’t overused at all and doesn’t overstay its welcome. It is usually just a few funny lines that give everyone a good laugh, but don’t change the mood.
It is evident that this movie is great, but the ultimate question is whether it is worth the astonishing hype it has garnered.. It is truly a must-watch and worth all of the attention.
There are no true flaws; however, something that could be an understandable flaw for some is that Coogler seems to abuse false endings. It feels like there are five scenes that could be the last. It could derail momentum for some, but for most, this feature is great because, as previously stated, every scene just gets better and better throughout the film without stopping.
It is pretty evident that this film is a masterpiece. It does everything right and is easily one of the best films of this generation, perhaps even the best of the decade so far. It is safe to say Coogler will be a superstar director from here on out, even if it is nearly impossible to top this.
