Michael B. Jordan plays twins Stack, left, and Smoke in “Sinners.” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
By Isabella Cantillano-Sanchez
“Sinners” is not simply a vampire film. In his fifth feature film, director Ryan Coogler masterfully blends genres to create the kind of film that either inspires or reawakens a love for the medium. Coogler is no stranger to exploring the Black experience in his films, and he continues this exploration in ‘Sinners’ using the conventions of the horror genre. Themes of the exploitation of Black culture (or perhaps…cultural vampirism), identity, and spirituality are all present in the film. It is worth mentioning that Coogler is able to make a film about race that does not serve to coddle or educate its white audience at the expense of its non-white audience. White people can enjoy the film of course, but the cultural nuances are not over explained, and there is no brutal and exploitative racial violence against the Black characters in the film.
“Sinners” tells the story of twin brothers “Smoke” and “Stack,” both played with hypnotic charisma by Michael B. Jordan. It is 1932, and they have returned to Mississippi to start a juke joint for their community. They are joined by their cousin Sammie, played by Miles Caton in a stunning debut performance. Sammie is a talented musician, but his preacher father fears that blues music will only lead his son toward sin. Spirituality, music, and the link between the two is present throughout the film and reaches a fever pitch in a scene that can only be described as transcendent.
The women of “Sinners” are a testament to Coogler’s storytelling ability. That they are all unique and play an active role in the story is unfortunately a rarity. Hailee Steinfeld blends strength and vulnerability as Mary, a white-passing woman navigating a life between two worlds and her love for Stack. Wunmi Mosaku is quietly commanding as Annie, a Hoodoo practitioner and wife to Smoke. Jayme Lawson brings an Old Hollywood glamour to her performance as the singer Pearline. Li Jun Li as Grace Chow, as well as the Chow family as a whole, is representative of the Chinese Americans that settled in the Mississippi Delta. The Chows, especially Grace, are also utilized to examine allyship between the Black community and other non-white communities.
Jack O’Connell’s Irish vampire Remmick is a memorable villain, and Coogler’s utilization of vampires as metaphors for cultural exploitation and assimilation truly shines in one the most memorable musical moments in the film. The vampire subplot also allows for the brief inclusion of the Native American community in a scene rife with delicious implications. While “Sinners” steeps itself in sensuality, it leaves its sex appeal to the human characters. The vampires in “Sinners” are truly monstrous, and Coogler seeks to highlight the joys of mortality rather than romanticize eternal life.
“Sinners” unapologetically exalts Black joy and beauty while showcasing violence that is mostly fantastical, save for a scene toward the end full of the kind of cathartic carnage usually only seen in exploitation films. Like music, film is an art form, and great art can be a spiritual experience.
